Best Friends
by Lucinders
Summary: At four years old, Cristina meets her older brother's friend Owen, aged seven. This story follows them through the years. Very AU.
1. Chapter 1 The Early Years

Four-year-old Cristina Yang was a determined, intelligent little soul. She always knew what she wanted and knew how to get it. She liked things a particular way and it was always her way. She hated when her older brother Garrett came into her room and interfered with her toys. He was seven years old and would also tease her because he was so much bigger. She heard his voice and inwardly, the little girl went on full alert. He was going to bother her, as usual.

But it seemed he was talking to someone. It was another boy. Not another boy, she thought. Garrett was enough trouble.

She opened the door of her bedroom and saw Garrett and the boy talking in the corridor just outside of her brother's bedroom. He was a tall boy for his age with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He looked around and saw the little girl with the full head of raven curls.

"Who's that?" the boy asked, pointing to Cristina.

"That's my little sister Cristina. She is four. Don't mess with her, she is mean," Garrett said, laughing.

"She can't be so mean," the boy said, coming towards Cristina. "Look how cute she is. Look at these curls and these cheeks. She is like a doll." The boy squeezed Cristina's cheeks. Her eyebrows knitted together. She hated when people squeezed her cheeks.

"I am warning you, Owen. Don't mess with my little sister," Garrett said. As much as she hated people squeezing her cheeks, Cristina decided that she was going to do the opposite of whatever Garrett said about her. She smiled sweetly, showing off her tiny baby teeth.

"Aw, you see that," Owen said. "She's smiling at me. She likes me." Garrett shook his head. "She will turn on you in a minute," Garrett warned.

"Hello, Cristina," Owen said. "My name is Owen. Can you say my name?"

Of course she could say his name, she thought. Did he think she was a baby? She decided to humor him.

"O-wen," she said, as if she was struggling to say it.

"Yes," Owen said, happily.

"She's only messing with you, Owen," Garrett said. "You don't know how much she gets me into trouble."

"I think you just don't know how to deal with her," Owen said.

"Come on, let's go into my room and play our games," Garrett said, urging his friend to leave his sister alone. "You're not here to play with my little sister."

"Alright, I am coming," Owen said. He softly stroked Cristina's curls. "Goodbye, Cristina. I will see you soon." He turned away and headed into Garrett's room.

Cristina closed her door and went back to playing with her dollies and teddy bears. That was the first time she met Owen Hunt.

The blonde boy soon became a regular visitor at the Yang household. He and Garrett were in the same grade and they had become fast friends because they liked so many of the same things. While he ostensibly came over to play with Garrett, he always made time for Garrett's little sister.

He was fascinated by this tiny doll-like creature with the delicate features, the porcelain skin and the darkest of curls. He had an older sister, Julia, who was 13, but she was nothing like this little princess. Julia was loud and obnoxious and was already into boys and fashion. He didn't like Julia at all.

He knocked on her door. She was used to him, coming to see her. At least he knocked on her door, not like Garrett, who often barged into her room. Owen treated her much nicer than her brother.

"Hello, Cristina," he said, as he entered her room. He took a seat at her tiny table where she had a tea-set all laid out. She had dolls and bears in each chair around the table, except for her chair and the chair in which Owen sat.

"Do you want some tea and biscuits, Owen?" she asked.

"Yes, please," he said, as the little girl poured out some imaginary tea while handing him a plate of plastic biscuits. He pretended to drink the tea and eat the plastic biscuits. "Yummy," he said. She laughed. She had a cute little laugh, he thought. They would play tea party for about half an hour, before Garrett always came to get him so they could go to his room.

"Good bye, Cristina," Owen told the little girl. "I will see you soon." Cristina nodded at him.

"Why do you spend so much time with my little sister?" Garrett asked. "She is a total pain."

"No, she's not. You should try and get along with your sister. She is not like my terrible sister, Julia, who is always shouting at me," Owen said. "Your little sister is so cute."

"On the whole, sisters are terrible," Garrett said. "Okay, what are we playing, today?" The two boys disappeared into his room, while the tiny girl in the room next door sang to her dollies and teddy bears.

* * *

><p>When Cristina was five, she was ready for kindergarten. Her dad, Stanley, knew she was such a smart, little cookie. She was going to the same school as Owen and Garrett, who were now eight years old and in Grade 3.<p>

"So you're excited, Cristina? Your first day of kindergarten!" Stanley said, taking a glance at his tiny daughter in her booster seat.

"Yes, Daddy," she said, happily. She loved her daddy so much.

"So, Garrett, you will take care of your little sister," Stanley told his son.

"Must I, dad?" Garrett asked. "She's got such a big mouth, she can take care of herself."

"She may have a big mouth at home but she is one of the smallest kids in the school so she won't be as talkative there," Stanley said.

"Aaargh!" Garrett groaned. He always was forced to look out for Cristina because he was her older brother. He hated that. Being responsible for himself was enough.

As they pulled up in front of the school, Stanley stopped and unstrapped his little girl. He took her out of the car and handed the little girl, her lunch bag. He picked up her little knapsack. "Okay, so we're ready for our first day, baby girl," he said, as he took her tiny hand into his. As they entered the school compound, they met Owen on the school steps.

"Hello, Owen," Stanley said. "Nice to see you."

"Good morning, Mr. Yang," the blonde boy said. "Hey, Garrett. Hello, Cristina."

"Hello, Owen," the little girl said, looking up at the blonde boy.

"Hey," Garrett said to his friend.

"Are you excited for your first day of school?" Owen asked Cristina.

"Yes," she said, holding her daddy's hand tightly.

"If you need to go to work, Mr. Yang, I can take her to her class," Owen said. Stanley looked at his watch. He was running late because he was the one who had to get the kids ready for school that morning. Usually, his wife, Helen would have handled it but she had to meet one of her clients early that morning and he was left to handle those duties.

"Would that be okay, Cristina?" he asked his little girl. "Can Owen take you to your classroom?"

"Yes, Daddy" she said. Her daddy bent down and gave her a big kiss on her cheek. "Be good, baby girl." Owen took the little girl's hand into his and accepted her knapsack from Mr. Yang. Garrett groaned. Now he would be forced to walk his little sister to her classroom.

"Please take good care of her," Stanley said. He was actually talking to Garrett but it was Owen who answered. "Yes, I will," Owen said. Garrett reluctantly followed his friend and his little sister to her classroom, dragging his feet behind them.

As they walked through the school, Owen pointed out some of the places that the little girl should know about.

"That is the lunchroom," Owen said. "You can bring your lunch and eat in there. I will come for you at lunchtime and we can eat together."

"Oh, no," Garrett said. "We have to eat with her, too? What will the other guys say about us having to eat with this baby?"

"I am not a baby," Cristina said, defiantly as she shook her curls.

"No, you're not a baby," Owen said. He gave his friend a glare.

"That is the girls' restroom," Owen said, pointing to a door where two girls had just entered.

"That is the teachers' lounge," he pointed to a blue door. "Never go in there. They get so mad, if you do."

"And this is your classroom," he said, as they reached the kindergarten class. He went straight up to the teacher, Miss Giles.

"Miss Giles," he said. "I have brought you a new student. Her name is Cristina Yang. She is Garrett's little sister." Garrett nodded, glumly to the teacher.

"Welcome, Cristina," Miss Giles said, as she checked her attendance book for Cristina's name. "Thank you, Owen for bringing her to class. Where are her parents?"

"Her dad had to go to work and I volunteered to bring her to class. She is my friend," Owen said.

"Well, you're a good friend, Owen. I will take her, now," she said. Owen released her hand and turned to her. "Goodbye, Cristina. I will see you soon."

"Goodbye, Owen," Cristina said. She gave her brother a face. "And you, too, Garrett."

"Yeah, yeah," Garrett muttered. He knew it was going to be a pain to have his little sister come to the same school as he did.

The two boys turned to leave. Owen looked back as he saw Miss Giles take the tiny girl and place her at a table with two other children. She looked so small and forlorn, he thought. He gave her a little wave and she smiled back at him.

As they walked to their classroom, Garrett asked, "Why do you care so much about my little sister?"

Owen pondered the question. "Because she is very small and needs to be protected. It's like she is my little sister. I just like her."

For her entire kindergarten year, Owen met the Yangs every morning. He was always ready to take Cristina to her classroom. It was his morning ritual. He and Garrett always met her for lunch in the lunchroom. In the evenings, he was there to see her off.

When she entered first grade, she told him that he didn't have to accompany her to her classroom, anymore. She was now six and therefore, a big girl. He sighed. She was getting bigger and didn't want him to take care of her, anymore. She wanted to be independent. She now had her own friends and she ate with them, instead of Owen and Garrett, in the lunchroom. That was much to Garrett's relief that he no longer had to eat with his baby sister. Owen, on the other hand, missed eating with the little girl.

Even if she said he didn't want her to look out for her anymore, he still did, anyway but he never told her that he did. He made sure that she was not bullied because of her diminutive size. And that is how it continued until the day the two boys were going to graduate from eighth grade.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the boys' graduation. Cristina and her parents were there to see Garrett graduate. Owen's older sister, Julia, who was now in college, and his parents also came to see him graduate. Garrett had a crush on Julia and he always made a fool of himself whenever he was around her. Julia always treated him like a puppy dog.<p>

Cristina was leaving fifth grade and in the fall, she was entering sixth grade. Both Cristina and Owen had birthdays during the summer. He was turning 14 at the end of June and she was turning 11 in August. Garrett had just turned 14 right before the graduation.

Cristina cheered when her brother and Owen received their diplomas. Owen waved at her, when he heard her voice. Both Mr. Yang and Mr. Hunt took numerous pictures of the young graduates. They were a little bit obnoxious trying to get the best shots.

After the official ceremony, there were lots of picture-taking. Cristina stood back because it was really her brother's and Owen's day.

"Come on, Cristina, get in the picture," Owen called out to her. She shook her head. "Yeah, come on, Cristina," Garrett said. Over the years, his attitude towards his little sister had softened. She was less of a pain now and he actually enjoyed her company. She reluctantly came forward and stood between the two boys for their picture. Both Mr. Yang and Mr. Hunt took their pictures.

"This one is going in a frame," Mr. Hunt said, laughing. "Look how good they look."

They all joined the reception for graduates and their families to enjoy some sandwiches and juice.

Cristina was standing in a corner, watching the crowd around her. Everyone seemed so happy. In a couple of years, she too, would be graduating.

"Hey," Owen said, as he handed her a sandwich and a drink. "Brought you something so you won't have to stand in line."

"You didn't have to do that," she said, accepting the refreshments.

"I wanted to," he said. He stared out at the crowd. "So you know, when the fall semester starts, you will be all alone, here. Garrett and I will be going to high school, then."

"Yeah, I know that. It's okay, Owen. I am going to be okay," she said, smiling at him.

"I won't be around to look out for you,' he said. "Even though you didn't want me to, I couldn't help it. I still looked out for you."

"Yes, Owen, I know you did," she said, laughing.

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"In third grade, when Bobby Chamberlain put that gum in my hair and the nurse had to cut off a huge chunk of hair. You saw me crying in the nurse's office. I saw you watching me. The next day, Bobby apologized to me and he couldn't look me in the eye. I kinda figured you took care of it. He never messed with me, again," Cristina said.

"Yeah, that boy was a weasel," Owen said, laughing at the thought.

"He's not so bad, now," Cristina said.

"What do you mean?" Owen said, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

"Oh, he is quite nice to me, now," Cristina said. "He asked me if I wanted to go to the movies with him."

"And are you going?" Owen asked. He needed to know.

"No, my dad said I can't date until I am in high school. Bobby said he would wait," Cristina laughed. "Who's going to wait for a girl for that long?"

Owen thought, "I would."

"Hey, Owen," Mr. Hunt called out to him. "We're heading to the airport to drop off Julia. Come on."

"Okay, Dad," Owen answered. "Gotta go, Cristina."

"Yes, okay," Cristina answered. She put down her sandwich and drink. She gave him a tight hug. "Owen Hunt, you were my bestest friend in grade school."

He put his arms around her. "Goodbye, Cristina. I will see you soon."

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><p><strong>AN: Yes, it is a new story. Please, please, leave your reviews. I do hope you have enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 2 Summer Days

Owen had not seen Cristina for most of the summer. Her parents had sent her and Garrett to their grandparents in Florida. He did get some emails from her and Garrett, with photos of them at Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios and on a Disney cruise. They looked like they were having a great time.

He wished he was with them but he was a boy on a mission. He had got a job for the summer. He mowed lawns, cut hedges, cleaned pools and yards, walked and bathed people's dogs. He was saving to buy Cristina a present for her 11th birthday at the end of August. His parents were rather proud of him that he was being so industrious but they didn't know what he was saving his money to buy.

He knew her parents and his parents had joined up to rent a house near the lake for the last two weeks in August before school started in September. Cristina's birthday was going to fall during that period, so he knew he had to make enough money to buy her gift before then.

* * *

><p>He was really excited when it was mid-August. His parents packed up their vehicle with everything they would need for their two-week vacation at the lakehouse. His sister, Julia, was upset that she would being forced to go on this trip. She was now 20 and she had to spend the last two weeks of her summer break with the parents, kid brother, his friend and his friend's little sister. Worse yet, she heard she had to share her bedroom with that 10-year-old girl. Seriously, at her age, how could she be sharing a room with a 10-year-old? She was mortified. She didn't know why they didn't leave her at home and she would go hang out with her friends. Mr. George Hunt and his wife, Lana, knew their two children had differing emotions about their trip to the lakehouse. Their daughter likened the experience to having her fingernails pulled out one by one, while their son was beyond happy to be seeing his friends.<p>

It was a two-hour drive to the lakehouse. Owen could not wait to get out of their SUV. He saw that Mr. Yang's SUV was already there, so that meant Garrett and Cristina were there. He looked around for them.

"Dad, I am going down to the lake to see if Garrett and Cristina are there," he said.

"Okay, buddy," George said. "Mom and I will just unpack the car. I am sure Stanley and Helen are already packing away their stuff."

He ran down to the lake and he saw them; they were both sitting on the edge of the pier. Cristina's dark curls were being whipped by the breeze coming over the lake.

"Cristina, Garrett," he called out. The two Yang children looked around. Upon seeing Owen, they both got up and ran to meet him. Garrett reached him first and they briefly hugged before slapping each other on the back. Cristina was not as swift as her brother, especially since her legs were shorter. She ran smack into Owen. Their bodies collided and he hugged her close. Her head only reached his chest, since Owen had a growth spurt over the summer.

"Cristina, I missed you so much," he whispered to her, as he smelled the strawberry shampoo in her hair.

She whispered back, "Me too, Owen. You're my bestest friend."

"Stop hugging her," Garrett complained. "You're hugging her like if she's your girlfriend. She is just my bratty little sister."

Owen suddenly felt self-conscious and released Cristina from his arms. He looked at them. They looked like they got some sun in Florida.

"So how was your trip to Florida?" Owen asked.

"Just awesome," Garrett said. "Grandpa and Grandma were a blast. They are so much more fun than our parents."

"So how was your summer?" Cristina asked.

"Worked all summer. Dad was proud. He said I was showing initiative," Owen said.

The children walked back to the lakehouse. Julia was lying on a couch, looking surly. The four parents were busy packing supplies in the kitchen cupboards and chatting about stuff that grown-ups chat about like the stock market and politics. Stuff that was boring, the children thought.

"Hey kids," Lana asked. "Are you hungry? Helen and I thought we could just whip up some hot dogs and hamburgers?"

"Yes, yes, yes," the children shouted. Julia said from the couch, "I will just have a salad."

"Well, you can make that for yourself," Lana said. Julia scowled. Lana was unmoved by the way her older child was acting. It was a family vacation and she felt her daughter could act a little more enthusiastic about being with her family. Garrett stared at Lana; he had a crush on the tall, blonde girl. He wondered what she looked like in her bathing suit.

"What are you looking at, brat?" Julia told Garrett.

"Julia, be civil," George said. "Apologize to Garrett." This made Julia in an even worse mood than she was already in.

"I apologize, Garrett. May I be excused?" she asked. "I am going to my room."

"Fine," Lana said. "If you can't be polite, then you shouldn't be around decent folk."

Julia got up in a huff and went to her room. She wanted to cry. She obviously knew which of the twin beds was her bed because there was a teddy bear on the other bed. "Just great," she thought. "She still has a teddy bear."

Julia stared out her window and noticed a cute guy at the house next door. He looked to be about 20 or 21. "Things are looking up around here," she thought. "Maybe it won't be so bad after all." He was with one other guy and three girls; they looked to be sharing the house next door. She quickly changed into a swimsuit and cover-up and sauntered back down the stairs. "I see there are some young people next door. I am going to introduce myself," she announced to everyone.

"Well, her mood certainly picked up," George said. The four parents worked on preparing the lunch, while the three children played a board game.

Julia walked across to the next house. "Hi, I am Julia Hunt. My family is renting the house next door for two weeks."

"Hey," the cute guy said. "I am Oliver and this is Sam, June, Marta and Carmen." The other people nodded, as their names were said.

"Are you all here alone? No parents?" Julia asked. "I am stuck with two sets of parents, and three little kids."

"No. I am officially an adult," Oliver said. "I am 21 and the oldest. I can buy beer, smokes. Carmen is the youngest here. She is 17. Marta and June are 18 and Sam is 20."

"If you're there with three little kids, who is the blonde hottie? He looks about 16," Carmen asked. "I wouldn't mind meeting him."

"Are you talking about my brother? Jeez, he is only 14 years old. And it makes no sense trying to corrupt him, he is already in love. He has been in love with the same girl since he was seven years old," Julia said.

"You're kidding, right?" Carmen said.

"Nope, my brother doesn't know that I know but I have seen the way he looks at Cristina," Julia said.

"Who is Cristina?" Carmen asked.

"Well, if you saw him, you would have seen he was with two Asian kids – a boy and a girl. The girl is Cristina," Julia said.

"That tiny moppet with the head of dark curls?" June asked.

"Well, she is 10 years old and she is going to be 11 by the end of August. Yup, that is her. The love of my brother's life," Julia said. Carmen, the 17-year-old, made a mental note to go over and have a chat with this 14-year-old, who looked like a 16-year-old.

* * *

><p>The final days of the summer vacation were long and fabulous. The children swam every day in the lake. George and Stanley went fishing. Lana and Helen cooked up a storm, every day. Even Julia was having a great time, since she was hanging with the young people next door.<p>

Owen, Cristina and Garrett were swimming one hot day in the lake. Owen got out to go grab a towel for Cristina, when this redheaded teenager in a bikini came by and stopped to talk to him.

"Hello," she said. "Are you Julia's brother?"

"Yes, I am Owen," he answered. He found himself mesmerized by her breasts in her bikini top. He started to blush; his 14-year-old teenaged hormones were awakened. Carmen noticed his stare. She had to laugh.

"And these are your friends?" she asked.

"Yes, that is Cristina and Garrett," he said. Cristina was still waiting for Owen to bring the towel for her, while Garrett stared at the girl in the bikini with his mouth open. Owen broke away his stare from the girl's boobs and picked up the towel. Cristina came out of the water and he handed it to her. Carmen took a good look at the small girl. She had a pretty face and obviously, beautiful hair but she still hadn't started to develop as yet.

"If you guys want to come by next door, you can come for a visit," Carmen said. She still could not believe this blonde hunk was only 14 years old.

"Thank you," Owen said. "But we're leaving tomorrow so it may not be possible."

As the girl sashayed away, the boys stared at her curvy backside. Cristina followed their stares, as she wrapped herself into the towel. She burst out laughing. "Owen, I think that girl likes you," she shrieked. "She wants to kiss you." She put on her slippers and ran back to the house, laughing. Owen and Garrett chased after her.

Since it was Cristina's birthday that day, a special dinner was planned. All of Cristina's favorite dishes were prepared and for dessert, her favorite flavor of ice cream – cookies and cream – was to be served. They also had a three-layered red velvet birthday cake with cream cheese frosting.

After dinner, Helen brought out the birthday cake with the 11 candles already lit. "So who is going to cut this cake with Cristina?" Helen asked.

"I am sure Owen would like to do the honors," Julia said, slyly, as she smirked at her younger brother.

"Okay, come on, Owen," Helen said, handing him the knife. "Okay, let's wish Cristina a happy birthday." Everyone sang the happy birthday song, then Cristina closed her eyes, made a wish and blew out the candles. Everyone clapped and cheered, while Stanley took pictures.

"Time to cut the cake," Helen said. Owen and Cristina held on to the knife and cut down the three layers of cake. Then, they took the forks and fed the cake to each other. "Yum," Cristina said. "Mom, this cake is super yummy." Owen kissed her on her cheek.

Helen started cutting the cake for everyone to get a slice. Owen told Cristina, "I will be right back. I have your present for you." She nodded.

He ran to his room, dug into his duffel bag and found the small box. He ran back down the stairs and he looked around for her. She wasn't to be seen.

"Mom, where's Cristina?" he asked Lana.

"She said that she was going to sit on the pier one last time," Lana said. "She should still be out there."

Owen ran outside, heading towards the pier. The bright full moon lit up the night, so he could see her clearly sitting on the edge of the pier.

"Hey," he said, as he sat next to her. "I have your present. I worked all summer to buy you this."

She smiled brightly as she took the small box from him. It was a pendant in the shape of flower on a gold chain. The petals of the flowers were peridot, Cristina's birthstone, while the center of the flower was a small diamond.

"It's beautiful, Owen," she said. "Put it on me." She turned around and lifted her hair. He clasped the necklace around her neck. "How does it look?"

He stared at her pretty face. "Beautiful."

"Thank you so much," she said, giving him a tight hug.

They sat in silence. "Remember I once told you that my dad won't let me date until I am in high school."

"Yeah, you told me that when Bobby Chamberlain asked you to go to the movies," he said. Secretly, he was glad that her father had made up that rule.

"You think Bobby Chamberlain would still want to date me, then? I mean it is a long time to wait," Cristina said.

"Come on, don't tell me you like Bobby Chamberlain," Owen said. "That guy is a doofus."

"It's just that he's the first guy that ever asked me out," Cristina said.

"Don't you worry about that. There will be lots of guys who would want to ask you out. You're beautiful now, you're going to be a total knockout," Owen said.

"Thanks. I was just wondering whether he would be my first kiss," Cristina said, looking up at Owen.

"Your first kiss?" Owen felt uneasy. He always imagined he would be the one giving Cristina her first kiss.

"Well, I know I can't date but that was my birthday wish. I wanted to feel like what it was like to be kissed," she said. "I just want to know."

They again sat in silence for a bit, watching the water. "If you want, I can kiss you," he offered, softly.

"You would do that for me? I know you would prefer to kiss that redhead with the big boobs from this afternoon. You were staring at her so," Cristina said, laughing.

"That is so not true," Owen said. "I would kiss you than her, any day."

"Well, okay," Cristina said. "Let's do this." She closed her eyes and puckered up her lips, ready for the kiss.

The truth is Owen had never kissed a girl before and his only knowledge came from television and movies.

He twisted his head to the opposite direction to how Cristina's head was bent. He opened his mouth slightly and their lips touched. He started with tender kisses and waited for her to respond to him. It was gratifying when she started kissing him back. Her lips felt soft against his. They kissed for about a minute. When they pulled back from each other, she said, "So that is what is like? Thank you, Owen. You're my best friend."

His 14-year-old self felt the incredible sparks of kissing the girl that he loved. He wasn't too sure what she felt. Maybe she was too young to realize the effect she had on him. He was a little out of breath.

"Our last night here, Owen," she said, as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Let's enjoy it."

"Yeah," he said, as he put his arm around the girl who had stolen his heart.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. I am enjoying writing this story. I hope you're enjoying reading this story. Don't forget to leave your thoughts.**


	3. Chapter 3 Emotional upheaval

For the first time in her life, eleven-year-old Cristina was going to school without the protection of her older brother and his friend. It felt different, when she was the only one dropped off at school.

"Bye, squirt. Have a good day," Garrett said. She turned around and stuck out her tongue at her brother. He made a face at her in return.

"Tell Owen that I said hello," she told him.

"Will do," he said, as their dad pulled off. Garrett watched her as she ran up the stairs. As she was about to open the door, another hand beat her to the door handle and opened it for her. She looked up. It was Bobby Chamberlain.

"Hey, Cristina," he said, grinning. "You look really pretty, this morning. You look like you had a good summer."

"Yes, I did, Bobby. Thank you for opening the door for me," she said, looking up at the boy's mischievous green eyes.

"It is my pleasure, Cristina. I will open any and all doors for you, while we're at school," he said.

"Well, not the door to the girls' restroom," she said.

"Yeah, well except that one," he said. "Can I walk you to class?"

"Since you're headed that way, anyway, I can't stop you," she said. Within the last year, she had found that Bobby was paying a lot more attention to her and with the start of the new academic year, the pattern seemed to be continuing.

"Well, this is true," he said. "How was your summer?"

"Oh, we went to Florida and visited all of the amusement parks in Orlando and we took a Disney cruise and then we went up to the lake. My family and the Hunt family," she said.

"You mean Owen Hunt's family?" he asked. He never liked that guy. He still remembered how Owen had collared him when he had put the gum in Cristina's hair in third grade. He hadn't meant to get it stuck in her hair. He was showing off by trying to blow the biggest bubble he possibly could to impress her and somehow, the gum got away from him and got stuck in her hair. He felt so bad when she cried when the nurse had to cut her hair. To make matters worse, Owen Hunt had cornered him in the gym and told him that he had to apologize to Cristina and to never mess with her again. He was going to apologize to her before Hunt had stuck his nose in, where it wasn't wanted.

"Yes, he gave me this for my 11th birthday," she said, showing off her necklace with the peridot and diamond flower. Bobby could see that Hunt had spent a pretty penny in getting that necklace for Cristina. The light dawned on the 12-year-old. Owen Hunt had a clear interest in Cristina. He was Bobby's competition for Cristina's affections.

But Bobby knew he had the advantage, now. He and Cristina were still in grade school, while Hunt was already in high school. He had three years to win Cristina's heart. Hunt would not be around to interfere with anything. The boy smiled to himself. As they reached their classroom, he opened the door for Cristina and she mouthed a thank-you. Yes, he definitely had the upper hand, now. Now only if her dad didn't have that stupid rule about her not dating until she went to high school.

* * *

><p>Owen was waiting for Garrett on a bench just outside of the school. He saw the familiar vehicle that belonged to the Yangs. Garrett jumped out of the SUV and greeted his friend.<p>

"High school, bro," Garrett said. The two boys bumped fists. Even though they were the same age, with Owen being younger by a month, there was a distinct height difference between the two boys. Garrett still had that prepubescent look while Owen had already started to develop.

As they walked through the school halls, Owen was oblivious to the stares of the girls, even those older than him. He didn't realize that he was causing a commotion among the girls. With his growth spurt and all that manual labor over the summer, his body had developed beyond what one would expect for a 14-year-old boy. He looked like a 16-year-old boy, even though his outlook on his life was that of a 14-year-old boy. Garrett noticed the stares of the girls. He knew they were for his friend and not for him, given that Garrett still looked younger than he was.

Two girls in cheerleader uniforms passed him and said, "Hey, hottie." Owen was surprised. Who were they talking to? He had never seen himself as being particularly good-looking or even hot, as girls tend to describe guys they thought were attractive. He ignored the stares and the comments. He was interested in trying out for sports. Besides, he really wasn't interested in any of these older girls; the girl he loved was still in Grade 6.

"So how is Cristina?" he asked. "Is she okay being alone at school?" He smiled, whenever he thought about Cristina and how they shared their first kiss. It was one of the best memories he had from the summer.

"Oh, she'll be alright," Garrett said, nonchalantly. "When we left her this morning, that kid, Bobby Chamberlain, was opening the door for her. Remember him, he was the one who put the gum in her hair. I think he is seriously crushing on her. He had this huge smile on his face. Ain't that sweet? My 11-year-old sister has an admirer, already. That's so funny."

"What?" Owen said. He didn't find that it was so funny at all. He did not want to hear about any boys paying attention to Cristina.

"Well, I guess we better get used to it. I know my sister is pretty and there will be a whole bunch of guys down the road, who will be paying her lots of attention. I mean, I know she is my kid sister but we look at girls, don't we? I guess guys are going to look at her," Garrett said, little realizing that he was stabbing his friend in his heart with every word. "Come on, let's get to our math class."

Owen and Garrett found their math class. Owen was going to grab a seat at the back of the class, when this red-headed girl with long legs said, "Why are you sitting so far back? You can sit next to me," she said, as she removed her sweater from a seat next to her.

"Who, me?" Owen said. Garrett smirked.

"Yes, you," the girl said. Owen went forward and took the seat.

"What's your name?" she asked, giving him a sly smile.

"Owen Hunt," he said. "First day here."

"Oh, I am Tammy Lester," she said. "Pleased to meet you." She put out her hand to him and he shook it.

"Likewise," he said. He was a little absent-minded because all he could think about was Bobby Chamberlain and Cristina. It was like that for most of the day, though he did manage to sign up for some try-outs for some athletic sports.

At the end of the day, he asked, "Can I come over and let's do some homework together? My dad will pick me up at your house."

"Yeah, sure," Garrett said. "Dad is already on his way to pick me up, you can come with us and then we can go pick up the brat."

"She's not a brat," Owen said.

"I know she isn't but I still like to call her that to get her riled up," Garrett said. "That's the job of being a big brother – getting your little sister mad."

Owen was eager to go pick up the "brat" at her school. He was in the back seat, looking out for her. What the heck? There were two guys with her, as she waited for her dad. One was Bobby Chamberlain and he racked his brain to remember who the other guy was. Oh yes, the other guy was Darren Longden. He wasn't even a sixth grader, he was in seventh grade.

Garrett called out, "Hey squirt. Come on." Cristina picked up her bag and ran to the car. She was rather pleased to see Owen in the back seat.

"Hey Owen," she said, as she gave him a hug before strapping herself in her seat.

"Hey," he said in a rather flat tone. He was mad. Didn't she know that he was waiting for her to grow up? Instead, she had all of these boys hanging around with her. His 14-year-old brain was unwilling to process that there were other boys who were interested in his girl.

"Are you coming over to our house?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"How are you doing? How was high school?" she asked.

"Fine," he said.

She was surprised. Why was Owen giving her all of these one-word answers? Was he mad at her? She was going to talk to him to find out what was wrong when they got home.

When they got home, Owen and Garrett went to Garrett's room, where they finished up the day's homework. It was 6 p.m. when they were through. It was just in time for dinner. Owen still had not spoken to Cristina about why he was mad.

Cristina and Garrett spoke a lot during dinner but Owen was strangely silent. Stanley and Helen could not understand what was wrong with the boy. He seemed rather sullen.

"Owen," Helen asked. "Is your father coming soon?"

"Yes," Owen said. "He is coming by at 7 p.m."

"Alright, then, finish up your dinner. I have got ice cream for dessert," Helen said.

"Yay," Cristina said. "Cookies and cream?"

"Yup, cookies and cream," Helen said. As they cleared up the dinner plates, Helen brought out the bowls of ice cream for the children. Garrett and Cristina quickly polished off their bowls, while Owen quietly stabbed at his ice cream.

"If you're not going to eat it, Owen," Garrett said. "I will eat it." Owen pushed the bowl of ice cream to his friend.

Cristina carried her empty ice cream bowl to the kitchen sink. Owen followed her, "Can I talk to you, Cristina?"

"Yeah, sure," she said. "Let's go to my room." He followed her to her bedroom.

"So what's up?" she said. "You've been acting really weird all day."

He looked at her. His voice softened, "Cristina, we've been friends like forever, right?"

"Yup," she said. "Forever friends. Since I was four."

"You know that I love you," he said.

"Yes, I love you, too. You are my bestest friend in the whole wide world," she declared, putting out her arms to indicate how big the world was.

"No, no, not just like that," he said. "Not just as a friend."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I love you like this," he said, coming forward and taking her face into his hands. He bent down and kissed her on her mouth. She seemed a little surprised but she kissed him back. He knew she was kissing him back. He could her feel her soft lips move under his.

Just then, the bedroom door flung open and Garrett entered. "Your dad is here." He stopped. He could not believe his eyes. Did he just see his friend kissing his little sister? "What the heck is happening here?" Garrett shouted. He was incensed.

Owen backed away from Cristina. "You're kissing my sister. Dude, she is only 11 years old. You better get out of here before I tell my dad. Get your stuff out of my room and go your way."

Garrett could not believe this. As Owen went into the other room to pick up his knapsack, Garrett asked, "Have you been my friend just so that you could get to my sister?" Owen turned around and said, "No. It just happened. I love her."

"Listen, Owen, you are not to contact my little sister, anymore. We are no longer friends," Garrett said. "This is not going to happen again."

As Owen left, Garrett turned to Cristina, "You're lucky that I am not going to tell dad that you're kissing boys in your room, Cristina. But I am warning you that you better not call Owen Hunt anymore. He is not ever going to come back here again."

Cristina's eyes filled with tears. Owen had always been her best friend, ever since she could remember. He said that he loved her but not as a friend. If Garrett had his way, she would never see Owen again. She fell on to her bed and started to cry.

Garrett looked at his younger sister. "Just remember. No more Owen Hunt here ever again." He closed the door, as his sister continued to weep.

She touched her lips. She could feel his lips still on hers. It had felt sweet and lovely and she was all warm on the inside.

She started crying again as the truth dawned on her that she had just lost her best friend.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I hope you are enjoying this story.**


	4. Chapter 4 And we meet again

Cristina was miserable when she went to school the next day. She and Garrett were not on speaking terms. Stanley certainly noted the rift between his two children but he said nothing. They were children and these tiffs usually blew over after a while. He would leave them to work out their own disagreements. It would just take time.

It was like a cloud was hanging over her all day. She could not imagine life without Owen in her life. That horrible Garrett, she thought. He was the one who was making it hard for her. She lost her best friend.

At lunchtime, she didn't feel like eating in the lunchroom. She went out in the schoolyard and sat on a bench under a tree. She looked at her sandwiches. She didn't feel like eating them at all. She decided to eat the fruit and yogurt that her mom had packed for her. She drank her orange juice. She took a bite of her grilled chicken sandwich. She knew she had to eat it because she would feel so hungry by the middle of the afternoon but she just didn't feel like eating.

"Hey," Bobby came and sat down next to her. "I looked for you in the lunchroom to have lunch with you and you weren't around. So I came looking for you."

"I am not feeling all that up for company, Bobby," she said, sighing.

"Why? Is something wrong? Can I help you? Let me help you," Bobby said.

"There's nothing you can do to help but thanks for asking," Cristina said. "I lost my best friend."

"Who?" Bobby asked, even though he had a fair idea who it was.

"Owen," she said. "He and Garrett had a fight and now, they are not speaking. And since Garrett is my brother, Owen and I aren't speaking, too."

"Oh, that's too bad," Bobby said. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"Well, you can tell me a joke," she said. "Maybe a laugh will help me."

"Okay," he said. "The only joke I know at the top of my head is pretty lame. Okay, so here goes. How do you top a car?"

"Top a car? What do you mean?" she asked.

"You tep on the brake, tupid," he said, with a chuckle.

She grinned back at him. "I didn't expect that one. The person has a lisp." Bobby was glad that he could get a smile out of Cristina. Now that Owen Hunt was definitely out of the way, it was now easier to make himself an integral part of Cristina's life. His spirit was light with joy.

* * *

><p>At the high school, Owen was feeling just as bad as Cristina had been. He had gone home the night before, wondering what he could have done differently. He had lost his two closest friends – his friend since he was seven years old <em><strong>and<strong>_ the girl that he loved. He had seen Garrett earlier that day and he was going to approach him to discuss the situation. But his former friend gave him a vicious glare, indicating that he was in no mood to hear when Owen had to say.

He was so deep in thought about his problems that he bumped into someone. "Hey," the red-headed girl said.

"Sorry," he said, still not really looking at the person. "I am sorry."

"Owen?" the girl said. "That's your name, right?"

"Yeah," he said, looking up from the ground. "Owen Hunt."

"It's me, Tammy Lester from math class yesterday. I offered you the seat next to me," she said, giving him a sweet smile.

"Oh, yes," he said, politely. "I remember. How are you?"

"I am fine," she said. "But it seems like you're not. You look like you're down in the dumps."

"Yeah, well I am," he said. "I had a fight with my friend. And now he's not talking to me." He didn't feel the need to elaborate about Cristina because it really wasn't this girl's business to know how he felt about Cristina.

"Oh, is that the Asian guy you were hanging out with yesterday?" Tammy asked. She really didn't want him to know that she had been eyeing him for the entire first day of school, so she knew exactly whom she was talking about.

"Yeah, that's Garrett. We had a fight yesterday evening and now, we're not talking," he said.

"Well, it will blow over. These things usually do. Time heals all wounds," she said.

"You think so?" Owen said, hopefully. He really badly needed to have this issue be resolved. He wanted to be back on good terms with Garrett and Cristina.

"Well, in the meantime, I can be your friend," Tammy said.

"Thank you," Owen said.

"Have you had lunch as yet?" Tammy asked.

"I wasn't feeling very hungry. Thanks anyway," he said.

"Anytime, Owen, anytime," Tammy said. "I am heading to the cafeteria, so if you change your mind, I will be there with my friends."

"Okay," Owen said, finally taking a good look at the girl. She was a tall girl, with long legs and auburn hair and amber eyes. She had a pretty face, with a smattering of freckles across her nose and her cheeks. She had started to fill out already, a sharp contrast to the still unformed 11-year-old Cristina. In his mind, he wondered, if Garrett was right, Cristina was too young and he shouldn't be feeling this way about her. He was always waiting for her to grow up and maybe, she would never catch up. Maybe he had to finally look at girls his own age.

He gave the girl a shy smile as he walked away. Tammy was not going to give up so easily. She had spotted the handsome blonde boy on the first day of school and was interested, immediately. She already knew that other girls had been looking at him but he seemed oblivious to their stares. She liked that about him. That he had no idea how good looking he was and therefore, had no pretensions about him. She was determined that this boy was going to be her high school boyfriend some time during these four years.

* * *

><p>Without each other in their lives, Owen and Cristina began to include other people in their circle of friends. Cristina became best friends with a new girl called Madeleine, while Bobby Chamberlain still figured prominently in her life. She excelled at academics, as well as the arts, as she was into music, painting and writing.<p>

Owen and Tammy became friends, as well as he became friends with her friends, which included John, Peter, Shelly and Tricia. They had come from a different grade school from Owen, so he was actually making new friends.

John and Peter were very sports-minded as he was, so that was a good fit. The three guys tried out for some sports together and they were all pleased that they made it. The wrestling coach was particularly excited at Owen joining the team, as well as the football coach, who both saw the boy's muscled exterior as a great advantage. Owen had a great throwing arm and the football coach saw him as a potential quarterback for the team, when the juniors and seniors graduated.

Even though Shelly and Tricia had both intimated their interest in Owen, Tammy already called dibs on him and said that she saw him first. Only if she failed to catch his eye, were they going to be allowed to throw their hat in the ring, she said, emphatically. Shelly said, "Whatever." Tricia rolled her eyes.

Garrett, too, had developed new friends. As he was getting older, he was becoming more cerebral. He joined the science club, debate club, chess club and became a mathlete. Academics were taking precedence in his life. Even though he already was a straight A student with a 4.0 GPA, he figured he could get a higher GPA if he took advanced placement courses, as well as college courses during his high school career. His parents were pleased that Garrett had become so engrossed in academics.

He was interested in going either to MIT or CalTech and he knew he needed to get a stellar GPA, as well as get involved in some extracurricular activities. So he became excellent at the violin, got a black belt in tae kwon do and did volunteer work, teaching illiterate adults how to read.

Their high school careers over the years took different paths. It wasn't as if they didn't see each other in the corridors or in the classes they shared, they just moved in different circles. They acknowledged each other's presence by a nod or a polite greeting but they were really no longer the best friends like they once were, when they were in grade school.

Owen had become extremely popular as one of the best sports guys in the school. By the time he was a junior, he had already taken the school to the football state championship. He was an undefeated wrestler in his weight class and was state champion. He was in short a big man on campus. The girls all fell silent whenever he walked by, though officially, he was Tammy Lester's boyfriend. She was now a cheerleader and often acknowledged, as one of the hottest girls in the school. Though he was great at sports, he was no slouch in academics, maintaining a 3.85 GPA.

Garrett, on the other hand, was considered the smartest guy in school. He had a 4.7 GPA, having taken the required AP and college courses to gain the extra points for a GPA beyond the 4.0 norm. On the academic side of the spectrum, Garrett was a star. He had won many awards in science, math, chess and debate. He was even school body president. Garrett was not popular in the same way as Owen was but everyone recognized him for his brilliance.

* * *

><p>Since that fateful day in Cristina's bedroom, Owen had not seen Cristina in years. He saw her once, during the last week of his junior year, just before school went on summer vacation. He was now 16 and she was now 13.<p>

He saw Mr. Yang pull up in his SUV to pick up Garrett. Usually, Cristina was never in the car because Mr. Yang picked her up after he got Garrett at the high school. This day was different because Mr. Yang had taken Cristina to the dentist, so she had not been in school for the afternoon.

Owen was on the steps when he saw the SUV and the once-familiar head of raven curls. She was sitting in the back seat, reading.

"Look up, Cristina," he whispered to himself. "Please look up. Let me see your face."

It was as if she heard him, as she raised her head from her book and turned her head towards him. Owen gasped. It was more than two years since he had seen her face. Her ebony curls framed her delicate countenance. Their eyes met. He broke out in a huge smile and started to wave.

She gave him a tender smile and waved back. In that moment, it was like it was only the two of them that existed in the world and everything was wonderful, again. The moment was broken, when, suddenly, Tammy leaped into his arms.

"Hey, lover," she said, giving him a tight squeeze. Over Tammy's shoulder, he could see Cristina put down her hand and turn away.

"I see your hand is up," Tammy said. "Who are you waving at?"

"A friend," he said. "Someone I haven't seen in a very long time." Tammy looked across to where he was staring. She could see Garrett getting into his dad's SUV but his back was turned towards them, so it couldn't be him. Besides, Owen saw Garrett, every day, even if they didn't speak to each other. There was a small, pretty girl with very dark curls, sitting in the back seat of the car. The girl looked up from her book, once more and gave them a small smile. Tammy noted that Owen smiled back. Owen watched as the SUV pulled off.

"Was that Garrett's sister?" Tammy asked.

"Yes," Owen said. "Cristina. I haven't seen her in more than two years." Tammy noted the gentleness in which he said the girl's name.

"Oh, okay," Tammy said. "She's his little sister, right?"

"Um, yeah," Owen said. "She should be joining us in high school, next fall. She will be 14 then."

"Well, I guess we will see her in the fall," Tammy said. "At least she will already know you and Garrett."

"Yeah, we'll see her," he said, quietly.

* * *

><p>Owen could not wait for summer to be over. He was excited for the first day of school, more than ever.<p>

"What's up, Owen?" his dad said, as he saw his son leap into his car after a quick breakfast. "I've never seen you this excited about school in a long time."

"Well, I am a senior, dad. Last year of high school. Always a year to remember," he said.

"Yeah, I had a great senior year," George said. "Anyway, son, have a great day."

"I intend to," Owen said. Today was going to be an awesome day, he thought.

He parked his car in the student parking lot and headed into the school. He started looking around for that head of raven curls. He was starting to give up, when he finally saw her at the locker. She was being mercilessly teased by Roy Gibbons, one of the linebackers from the football team. He had one of her books and he had raised it so high above her head that she could not reach it. She was jumping to get at it.

"Leave her alone, Gibbons," Owen said, as he took the book out of Roy's hand and gave it back to Cristina.

"Oh, come on, Hunt. Just having a little fun with this freshman cutie," Gibbons said. "I mean, look at those curls."

"Leave her alone, Gibbons, I mean it," Owen said in a stern voice, showing that he meant business.

"I don't know why but clearly, this one is special to you," Gibbons said, shaking his head as he did a quick survey about who could be his next victim.

"Thank you," Cristina said, as she accepted the book from Owen and placed it in her locker.

"Is that all you're going to say to me? It has been three years, Cristina," Owen said.

"Um, you look well and you've grown tall," she said, looking up at him.

"I am six-foot even now," he said. "So how are you finding things around here?"

"Okay, I guess. How many creeps like that guy are there?" she asked, worried that her diminutive size would attract such attention.

"Don't worry about him," Owen said. "He won't mess with you again. And if anyone else messes with you, just tell me and I will take care of it."

"Ah, Owen Hunt, always my protector. You haven't changed," she said. "Anyway, I am going to class now."

He watched as she walked away, her curls bouncing in the air. "Hey," he called out to her. "You've grown, too. What? You must be about five feet tall now."

She turned around and shot him an indignant look. "Five-foot one," she said. "I am five-foot one."

"Okay, missy, you're five-foot one," he told her. As he watched her retreating figure, he whispered to himself, "You are five-foot one of pure love."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, I am back from vacation. Please leave your reviews. I really do appreciate reading them.**


	5. Chapter 5 Navigating the lunchroom

It had been a fairly easy morning for the 14-year-old high school freshman. The whole morning had just been an orientation kind of day, where they introduced themselves in each class and talked a little about what they liked.

They had now come to the hard part, finding somewhere to sit in the cafeteria. It wasn't like people were going to welcome freshmen to sit at their table. After all, they were at the bottom of the high school pecking order, with the seniors at the top. The very popular seniors were the ones who ruled the school.

Cristina and Madeleine lucked out when they found a small empty table in the corner of the room. They took their sandwiches out of their lunchbags and started munching.

Owen came in the cafeteria, looking for Cristina. He couldn't see her at first because the cafeteria was so huge, until he spotted her head of ebony curls, sitting in the corner of the room. She was sitting with a girl with brown hair and glasses.

He walked across the cafeteria, oblivious to the stares and the whispers of the girls around him. He grabbed a chair and sat down next to Cristina.

"So how was your first day of high school, Cristina?" he said, giving her a huge grin. Madeleine's mouth dropped open. She was flabbergasted that her friend actually knew this tall, blonde hunk. This older boy looked like he could be a senior.

"It has been pretty easy. Just getting to know you kind of stuff in most of the classes," Cristina said. "They did give us a couple of chapters to read for the next class."

"Anybody else give you any trouble?" he asked. "I will take care of it."

"No. No one else. You know you don't have to keep protecting me, Owen. I am a big girl," she said.

"Um, no you're not. Have you seen how short you are compared to everyone else?" he said. "I don't even think you are five foot one."

"I am not short. I am petite," Cristina said. "And I am actually five foot and three quarter inches but I think that it is close enough to five foot one, so I gave myself the extra quarter inch."

"I am pretty sure your friend here is taller than you," Owen said.

"Yes, she is. She is five foot four but that is not too far away from me. By the way, I forgot to introduce you. Madeleine, this is Owen Hunt. Owen, this is my friend, Madeleine," Cristina said. Madeleine and Owen shook hands, politely.

"P-p-pleased to meet you," Madeleine stammered out.

"Good grief, Madeleine. He won't bite you. Stop stammering," Cristina said. "He's only Owen."

"You don't seem to realize it yet, Cristina, but I am doing you a huge favor by sitting at your table," he said, surveying the entire cafeteria and noting all of the gawkers, staring at them.

"So the mere fact that you're gracing us with your presence is doing me a favor. How?" Cristina asked.

"Because I am very popular here in school, mainly because of my sporting exploits on the wrestling mat and the football field," he said. "People will want to know you because I know you. It is just the dumb way that high school works."

"So because you are a dumb jock, you're popular?" she asked, in an incredulous tone.

"Hey, hey, I am not a dumb jock, I have a 3.85 GPA," he said.

"Oh, okay, that is way below Garrett's 4.7 GPA," Cristina said.

"That's because Garrett is the most brilliant kid in school and does all these extra courses for credit so that pushes up his GPA. I would let you know that I am one of the smartest jocks in school," he said. "Schools are already recruiting me for college because of my high GPA and my sporting prowess."

"Well, that's good. Your parents will be proud that you will be getting a free ride to college," she said.

"I don't want to go to any old college that is giving me a free ride. I want to go to Northwestern," he said.

"Ooh, that is an awesome school and it is close by," she said. "We can still see each other when you're in college." Little did Cristina that was one of the reasons that Owen had chosen Northwestern for his potential college future.

Meanwhile, Bobby Chamberlain made his way into the cafeteria. He was looking for Cristina. When he finally spotted her, he noted that Owen Hunt was sitting at her table. When would this guy ever let this go, he wondered. "I have been the one who has been her friend for the past three years. Now, that we are finally in high school and I can finally get to ask her out, Owen Hunt shows up," he thought. "When will I ever get a break?" He found a table next to some other guys from their old school and stared intently in Cristina's direction.

Owen spotted Tammy making her way to the table. Inwardly, he groaned. He knew Tammy always made her presence known, whenever she saw him talking to other girls, even little freshmen like Madeleine and Cristina.

"Hey Owen," Tammy said, pulling a chair close to Owen and draping one arm around his neck. "Introduce me to your friends." She had been looking for him to sit at their usual table with their friends and he was nowhere in sight. She gave a quick look around the cafeteria and finally noticed him at the corner table, having an intense chat with a small Asian girl and a mousy looking girl with brown hair. She knew she had seen the Asian girl before and remembered that she was Garrett's little sister, Cristina.

"Tammy, this is Cristina and Madeleine," Owen said, removing Tammy's arm from around his neck.

"Hi," the two younger girls said in unison. Cristina recognized the red-headed girl immediately. She was the one who was hugging Owen on the school steps, when she saw them last semester.

"So you're Garrett's little sister?" Tammy asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes, I am," Cristina said.

"Garrett is a very smart guy. Are you as smart as he is?" Tammy asked.

"Pshaw. I am much smarter," Cristina said with confidence.

"I like that. You go, girl," Tammy said. "Owen, the guys are waiting for us at our table to eat lunch. Can we join them?"

"Yeah, sure," Owen said. He turned to Cristina, "Okay, see you around, Cristina and you, too, Madeleine." He got up and followed Tammy to their table. He looked back in time to see a whole bunch of other girls had suddenly joined their table. He mouthed the words to her, "See I told you." She mouthed back, "I see."

Owen also noticed that Bobby Chamberlain had made his way to Cristina's table. He had taken the seat, right next to her. So that kid was still hanging around, Owen thought. Owen shook his head as he thought about how that Bobby kid never gave up.

As Owen sat with his friends, he positioned himself so he could still see Cristina's table. He watched how her curls shook, when she laughed. She got a little bit of mustard on her face and Bobby wiped it off for her, which made Owen grit his teeth. Tammy followed Owen's gaze and knew he was still looking at Garrett's little sister.

"Owen?" she said, trying to get his attention. "Let's go see that new movie on Saturday night."

"Um, what did you just say?" Owen said, a little confused.

"Man, are you in dreamland or what?" Peter said. "Stop it with the daydreaming, Owen."

"Oh, I just was thinking about something," Owen said.

"I was talking about the movie on Saturday night," Tammy said.

"Yeah, yeah, we can all go," Owen said, much to Tammy's chagrin. She was hoping for an alone night with just the two of them and none of their pals around. He seemed terribly distracted and she wanted to ensure that she receive his full attention.

"Yup," John said. "Let's make it a group date." Everyone agreed and started to make plans.

Back at Cristina's table, Bobby was thoroughly enjoying himself. He was the only guy at the table and not only did he get to sit next to Cristina, he also got to meet a whole bunch of other girls. He wondered if he should flirt with one of these girls and make Cristina jealous. He decided against it because he felt it might send Cristina the wrong message that he was interested in one of these other girls.

He knew what he was going to do. He was going to ask her out, maybe to the movies on Saturday. They had a class together right after the lunch session and he would ask her on the way to that class. Yeah, that was what he was going to do.

When the lunch period was over, Cristina and Bobby headed to history class together. Owen waved at her as she left. She gave him back a small wave and a big smile. Both Tammy and Bobby made mental notes of what they just saw.

As Bobby and Cristina walked to their class, he turned to her and said, "So Cristina, remember a long time ago, you told me that your dad wasn't going to allow you to date until you were in high school. Well, we are in high school, now and I want to take you out on a date."

"You do?" Cristina said. "You're really a patient guy, Bobby."

"Yeah, well, you're worth it. I was wondering whether we could go to the movies on Saturday. There is that new movie out and if you're interested in seeing it, I thought we could go see it," Bobby said.

"Yes, I would like to see that movie. Tell you what, I will ask my dad and if he says 'yes', then it is a date," she said.

"Great," Bobby said. "I can get my dad to take us there and to pick us up after the movie."

"Okay, that will be nice," Cristina said. "I will ask my dad this evening when he comes for me and I will let you know, tomorrow."

"That's fine. Here we are, history class. Allow me, milady," he said, as he opened the door for her.

"Thank you, kind sir," she said, laughing.

* * *

><p>When school ended, Owen sought out Garrett. He saw him, waiting on the school steps for his dad to come pick him up. Cristina was nowhere in sight, as yet. Garrett was certainly a creature of habit as Owen had known exactly where he would be.<p>

"Hey, Garrett," Owen said. Garrett looked up, surprised to see his former friend.

"Yeah, Owen, what's up?" Garrett said.

"I just wanted to let you know upfront that now, Cristina is in high school, I am going to be speaking to her," Owen said.

"Yeah, I figured you would," Garrett said, turning his head to face the street. "But you do remember that she is still only 14 years old."

"I know. I just want to be her friend. I am still waiting for her to grow up," Owen said, also staring out at the street.

"I thought you were officially Tammy Lester's boyfriend," Garrett said.

"Well, that is what Tammy thinks. I have never told her that I was. I like her well enough but I don't love her in that way," Owen said.

"Oh," Garrett said. "I only ask one thing of you."

"What is it?" Owen asked.

Garrett turned his body to face him. "Don't hurt my little sister. That is all I ask of you."

Owen put out his hand for Garrett to shake. "You have my word. I will never hurt Cristina." The two former friends shook hands.

As Owen turned away, Garrett called out after him, "Was our friendship only about her?"

Owen looked back, "No, you were my friend first. We had some great times together. I miss our friendship, Garrett."

"Yeah, me too," Garrett said.

Cristina came out of the school and was shocked to see her brother and Owen speaking to each other. Since that argument three years ago, she knew that they had barely spoken two words to each other. Owen saw her, gave her a wave and a smile as he walked away.

She ran up to Garrett, "You're speaking to Owen?"

"Um, he was just asking about a homework assignment for a class we have together," Garrett lied.

"Oh, okay. Just surprised to see you talking," Cristina said. "Ah, there is dad. I have something important to ask him."

They both got into their father's SUV with Garrett in the front passenger seat and Cristina in the back seat.

"Hey, Dad, I have something important to ask," Cristina started. "Do you remember Bobby Chamberlain?"

"Yes, that boy from grade school. His dad is a psychologist," Stanley said.

"Yeah, that is him. Well, he asked me to go the movies this Saturday," Cristina said, eagerly. "Can I go out with him? You promised that once I got in high school, I would be able to date."

Stanley groaned. He didn't expect that his baby girl would be asked to go out on a date on her first day of high school.

"Well, okay. Is his dad going to pick you up and drop you off?" Stanley said, resigning himself to facing the next four years of high school dating.

"Yes," Cristina said. She got her first date. That was awesome, she thought.

In the front passenger seat, Garrett snickered to himself. Owen Hunt is getting competition from a 15-year-old boy, he thought. He laughed, quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. If you like my stories, I do appreciate if you leave your comments.**


	6. Chapter 6 The First Date

Cristina's first week of high school was not too bad, in fact, it turned out be pretty darn awesome. She got her first date. Yay. She managed to make a lot of new friends because of Owen. Yay. Maybe they weren't really new friends as yet but she did meet a lot of new people because of him. She really liked her teachers. Yay. Even though some of them had already started to compare her to Garrett. High school was turning out to be pretty alright, she thought.

She stood on the steps of the school, waiting for her dad to pick her up. Garrett had a chess tournament that evening, so he was already at the venue, so it was only her, waiting on the steps for her dad.

"Hey," a familiar voice said behind her. "Waiting for your dad?"

"Yes," she said, turning around to take a look at the tall, blonde boy, as he came to stand next to her.

"Okay, I will wait with you, since it seems Garrett is not around today," he said.

"Yes, he has that chess tournament in Evanston at the university," she said. "We're going to support him later tonight. Hopefully, he gets past the first round."

"I am sure he will get by, easily. Garrett is a chess champion," Owen said. "So how was your first week of high school? Did you like it?"

"Yeah. It turned out better than I expected. Well, thanks to you, I met a lot of people from other schools. They all wanted to know how I knew the most popular boy in school," she said. She laughed at that. "Little do they know that you used to play tea party with my dollies and me."

"Ah, those were the days," he said. "Sharing tea with Cristina and dollies Samantha and Tabitha and teddy bears Bruno and Hugo. Drinking pretend tea and eating fake biscuits."

"Oh, come on, you loved that," she said.

"Yeah, I did. But I think it is because I loved your company best, even though you were only four years old," he said.

"Well, one of these days, I would like to invite you to real tea and biscuits. Maybe blueberry scones. Except it will be all real, this time," she said.

"Yeah, I would like that," he said.

"Oh, there is my dad," she said, when she saw her dad's dark SUV, turning around the corner. "Bye, Owen. I will see you on Monday."

"Bye, Cristina. See you then," he said, as he watched her running to her dad's car, her curls bouncing in the breeze. She slipped into the front passenger seat and buckled herself up. She looked back and gave him a wave and a huge smile.

"Was that Owen Hunt?" Stanley asked.

"Yeah, dad," she said, grinning.

"My, the kid has grown tall. He looks almost like a grown-up, now," Stanley said.

"Well, he is 17 years old, dad. Next June, he is going to be 18," Cristina said.

"So what college is he looking at?" Stanley asked.

"He wants to go to Northwestern," Cristina said. "But he has a whole lot of schools trying to recruit him because of his sporting prowess. He is no slouch in academics, too. He has a 3.85 GPA."

"Ah, great school. Speaking of Northwestern, we need to pick up your mom so we can go see Garrett trounce the competition at the tournament," he said.

"Yeah, another riveting evening of chess," Cristina said, sarcastically.

"Hey, hey young lady. If you find something in high school that you are really good at, Mom, Garrett and I will be there, supporting you. So we support your brother, now," he said.

"I know that, Dad. You have always supported us, no matter what we do," Cristina said. "I was thinking about taking up lacrosse and joining the drama club."

"Well, good. That's a start. We will come and see your lacrosse games and every theater production you are in," he said. "We will cheer you on, even if you bomb."

"Thanks, Dad," Cristina laughed. "I know I can always count on you to be my cheerleader."

* * *

><p>The next evening, Cristina found herself in front of her walk-in closet, staring at what she was going to wear on her first date. She knew going to the movies was a casual thing but she didn't want to look too casual, like if she didn't care. But she didn't want to look too over-dressed, either.<p>

Her mom came in her bedroom and found her fretting over several different outfits. She knew that her daughter was anxious because it was her first date.

"Mom, what do you think? Should I wear the pretty white top with the dark jeans and ankle boots. Or the striped hoodie with the distressed jeans and the sneakers? Or the blue peasant blouse with the tiered skirt?" she asked.

"You will look great in all. But if I was choosing for my first date, I guess I would go with the pretty white top, dark jeans and ankle boots. You look a little more dressed up than normal but still casual enough," Helen said.

"Thanks, mom," Cristina said, as she started to change into her date outfit.

"My baby is going on her first date," Helen said. "I almost feel like crying. You are growing up so fast. I remember when Garrett went on his first date with Hayley Stephenson. Now, he is getting ready for college and leaving home. Where does the time go?" She sighed, loudly.

"Mom, we have to grow up, sometime," Cristina said, as she pulled on her top over her jeans. "What about make-up?"

"Well, you're only 14 years old, so we don't want you to look overly made-up. We want you to look natural and fresh," Helen said. "Let me do it for you."

As Mrs. Yang made up her young daughter's face, Owen Hunt was on his way to pick up Tammy. Tammy had been in a royal snit all week. He figured it was probably because he had paid so much attention to Cristina. If he had asked her, she would not have admitted that she was jealous of a 14-year-old – a girl who was practically a kid. At least, Tammy thought, she was going out with Owen tonight, even though it was a group date.

She got into the car. "Hey," he said. "Buckle up, now. Just spoke to the other guys and they are already on their way, so we better hurry up."

Tammy smiled, sweetly at him. She seemed to be in a better mood, Owen thought. Fifteen minutes later, they met their friends outside of the movie theater.

John said, "Hey, slowpokes, we bought the tickets already. Here are yours." He handed the tickets to Owen and Tammy. Before finding their theater, they stopped at the concession stand to get popcorn and soda. They then all filed into Movie Theater 10 and much to Tammy's chagrin, the boys sat together, while the girls were forced to sit together. She had wanted to sit next to Owen and now, he was five seats away from her. Actually, Owen deliberately chose not to sit next to Tammy as he wanted to avoid any drama for the evening and just wanted to enjoy the show. Sitting next to the guys would ensure that.

Just outside of the movie theater, Bobby and Cristina were being dropped off by Bobby's dad.

"How much money do you need, Bobby?" his dad, Dr. Chamberlain asked.

"Money for the tickets and popcorn and soda," Bobby said. His dad handed him $50. "Call me when you are ready."

"Thanks, dad," Bobby said. "I will."

He turned to Cristina, "Let me go get the tickets." She watched him as he stood in line to get the tickets. He watched her, watching him. She was so pretty, he thought. He hoped that people would be able to see him with her. He came back with the tickets and they then went to the concession stand to get popcorn and soda.

"I got one extra-large popcorn and two drinks," Bobby said. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," she said. "Let's go in before the movie starts. We're really cutting it close, here."

They rushed into Movie Theater 10 before the lights started to dim. Out of the corner of his eye, Owen saw that head of ebony curls. He could not miss those curls. He knew exactly who owned that head of hair. He watched the two people make their way to seats, which were just a couple of rows ahead of his row. He had a perfect eye-view of the two of them.

Who the heck was she with, he thought. He finally made out the boy's profile. Bobby Chamberlain, that's who it was. Since he knew that Cristina had never dated before, this was obviously her very first date. Her first date was with Bobby Chamberlain, of all people. Owen could not believe it. It was a good thing that Tammy was sitting five seats away from him, so she could not see the change in his demeanor. His lips formed into a thin line and he was gripping his popcorn, rather tightly.

As the movie started, Owen found himself less interested in what was happening on the screen and more and more on what was happening in the seats, a couple of rows ahead of him.

"Owen, pass the popcorn," Peter said. "Owen? Can you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry," Owen said, as he handed the popcorn to Peter.

"What's wrong, dude? You don't seem too interested in the movie," Peter whispered.

"I am a little distracted, that's all. Just thinking about something," Owen said, his eyes fixed on the young couple in front of him.

About an hour into the movie, Owen noted that Bobby was making his move. He watched as the boy raised his arms in the air and then rested his arm around Cristina's shoulder. "Oh, good Lord," he thought. "He's trying that old trick. Cristina, don't fall for that crap." He was in anguish.

Cristina did notice the arm around her shoulder, now. She decided she wasn't going to kick up a fuss. She didn`t actually mind it all that much, especially when the scary part of the movie came on. She buried her face into his shoulder. Bobby totally enjoyed that. "It's okay, Cristina, I will tell you when to look," he whispered to her curly hair. He could smell that she used a strawberry shampoo.

"Oh, come on, Cristina," Owen thought. "Don't put your head into that boy's shoulder." He wished he could just go there and remove that boy's arm from around Cristina but he knew he could not. It was not his place to do so.

When the movie ended, he watched them as they left. Bobby had taken Cristina's hand into his and they were walking out of the cinema.

"That was pretty good," John said. "I didn't think I would have enjoyed it that much. Don't you think so, Owen?"

"Yeah, yeah, great movie," Owen said, even though he did not have a clue about what went on in the screen.

"Hey, why don't we all go for pizza?" Tammy said, as they walked out of the movie theater and into the cool night air. Owen saw Bobby and Cristina waiting outside of the cinema. They were probably waiting for a parent, seeing that neither of them could drive, he surmised. Bobby was still holding on to Cristina's hand. Owen was starting to seethe on the inside.

"Yeah, let's go," Owen said. Cristina turned around and spotted him with the rest of his gang. Instinctively, he took Tammy's hand into his. If Cristina could be holding someone's hand, he couldn't be seen, as if he was lacking in female company. Tammy was pleased that Owen was holding her hand.

Cristina gave him a big smile and a wave. Bobby followed her gaze and saw Owen Hunt. "Good grief," he thought. "Is that guy everywhere I go?"

"Ah, there is your dad," Cristina said. They both piled into the back seat of Dr. Chamberlain's car. As soon as they were gone, Owen gently released Tammy's hand from his grasp.

The six friends went to the parking lot, found their cars and headed to their favorite pizza place. Owen was hoping to put this horrible night out of his mind when he saw them, again. Dr. Chamberlain, Bobby and Cristina were already at a table, having some slices. When will this nightmare end, he thought.

As his friends found their favorite table and ordered the pizzas, Owen decided to sit with his back facing them, so he couldn`t watch them, anymore. Though he was tempted to look back, he willed himself not to do so. As he was about to take a bite into his pizza, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He looked around to see her pretty face behind him. He noticed that she was wearing light make-up, some pink lip gloss and rosy blush. She looked a little more grown-up than usual and he could smell her perfume.

"Hey, Owen," Cristina said. "I saw you at the movie theater. What a coincidence that you are here, too. Bobby and I came for a couple of slices with his dad."

"Oh, yeah," Owen said, trying to act nonchalantly. "I did see you there."

"Did you like the movie?" Cristina asked. "I thought it was good, except for the scary part."

"Yeah, it was a good movie," Owen agreed, even though he really couldn't tell her what the plotline of the movie was about, since he had been pre-occupied with spying.

"Hey, Cristina," Tammy interjected.

"Hi, Tammy," Cristina said. "Nice to see you again. Anyway, going home, now. Just wanted to say hello."

"Okay, you too, bye," Owen said. "I will see you on Monday."

"Yes," Cristina said, as she turned away and followed Bobby and his dad out of the pizza place.

"Who is that girl?" Peter asked. "She's really pretty but kinda young, Owen."

"That's Cristina. Garrett's little sister," Tammy said. "She is Owen's special little project. He's been taking care of her this first week of school, isn't that so, baby?"

"She is not my special little project. She is my friend. I have known her since she was a little girl," Owen said, firmly. He hated that Tammy spoke about Cristina like that.

"Oh, okay, Owen," John said, laughing. "You're the most popular guy in school. Aren't you worried that hanging out with a freshman would hurt your cred in school?"

"If being seen with a freshman is going to hurt my credibility in school, then it is not worth having," Owen said. They knew he was serious.

"Oh, let's just have a good time," Peter said, hoping to change the subject. He laughed, trying to lighten the air.

"Yes," Owen said. "Let's do that." He laughed, too. It was all he could do to hide his cloudy mood.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. I do appreciate reading them, especially when I don't feel like writing.**


	7. Chapter 7 Drama club

For the rest of the weekend, Owen stewed silently. His parents chalked it up to the general moodiness of the teenage years so they left him alone. He was upset that she was dating someone, who wasn't him. He knew he had no reason for getting peeved because the harsh reality was that she was not his girlfriend. But he couldn't help that he didn't like it.

On Monday morning, he sought her out and found her scribbling her name on a sign-up sheet for the Drama Club.

"Hey," he said, coming up behind her. "You're joining the drama club?"

"Yes, I need to start getting on extra-curricular activities, so I can look good when it is time for college applications. Gotta start early on these things," she said.

"I didn't know you were interested in drama," he said, wondering if he should sign up for the club, too.

"Oh my God, haven't you noticed that I am a drama queen," she said, throwing her hands into the air. "My mom says it will be a natural fit for me."

"You know I have never thought about the drama club in all of my years here. Maybe, seeing that it is my senior year, maybe I should check it out this year," Owen said.

"Yeah, why not, Owen? It would be really cool if you were there. At least I would know someone in the group," she said. "Who knows, we could have fun this year if they cast us in a production."

"Okay, put my name down," he said. He watched as she wrote his name on the sign-up sheet. "Looks like the first meeting will be this afternoon, after school ends."

"Ooh, I would have to tell my dad to come back for me after the meeting is done," Cristina said.

"Don't worry about that. I will take you home," he said. "You can just tell your dad that you have a ride home."

"Okay, thanks," she said. "That would be terrific." The bell rang. "I better get going to my class. I will see you later."

He didn't see her much for the day, except for during the lunchtime session but she was eating with a bunch of other freshman girls, so it didn't seem appropriate to join her. He did join his friends but stole glances at her, now and then.

"Hey, before I forget, I was passing the bulletin board and I could not believe what I saw," Peter remarked, grinning at Owen.

"What?" Tammy said.

"Well, a very popular football hero in the school has joined the drama club," Peter chuckled. Everyone turned to look at Owen.

"So?" Owen answered, indignantly. "What's wrong with that?"

"You and drama club?" John squeaked. "I never thought the day would come."

"I am just trying something new. It's my last year of high school and maybe, I want to explore certain other aspects of high school life. I do well at academics and at sports. Just wanted to see if I am good at the arts," Owen said, hating the fact that he had to defend himself to his friends.

"It's okay, Owen," Shelly said. "If you are in any drama production, I will come and see it."

"Thank you, Shelly. At least I have one friend who is willing to support me," Owen said.

"Yeah, me too," Tricia said. "I think you would do well in the school play. You already look like a star."

"Why, thank you, Tricia," Owen said.

"Oh, come on, Owen, you know we were only joshing with you," Peter said. John nodded.

Only Tammy remained silent. There must be a reason for this sudden change in Owen. He had never expressed any need before to explore the arts at school. She was a bit skeptical of it all. There had to be more to this story, she thought.

After lunch, Owen took another look at the sign-up sheet for the drama club. There was a familiar name, three places down from where Cristina had signed in Owen's name. Bobby Chamberlain had also joined the drama club. Owen groaned.

* * *

><p>Cristina hurried to the drama club's meeting room. She didn't want to be late. She was rather excited. When she got there, there were already six people besides the teacher and his assistant, who ran the club.<p>

"Welcome," the teacher said. "Haven't seen you here before. You must be a freshman."

"Yes, I am," Cristina said, breathlessly. "Cristina Yang."

The teacher looked down at the sign-up sheet. "Ah, yes, here you are. I am Mr. Bostwick and this is my assistant, Miss Fairbanks. Just have a seat and let's wait for the others. There should be about 18 more people to join."

"Thank you, sir," Cristina said, as she grabbed a seat near the front.

Three more people came, then Bobby Chamberlain entered the room. Cristina gave him a beaming smile and he smiled back.

"What's your name, young man?" Mr. Bostwick asked.

"Bobby Chamberlain," the brown-haired boy said. The teacher again looked at the sign-up sheet. "Another freshman, I take it."

"Yes," Bobby confirmed. He sat next to Cristina, grinning at her, as he took her hand into his.

Owen was one of the very last to arrive. The teacher was shocked on seeing him. "Oh my, Owen Hunt, as I live and breathe. I never thought the day would come when I would see you in here."

"Well, people can try new things," Owen said. "I am trying something new. It's my last year here and I wanted to do something different. Are you saying that I am not welcome here?"

"Of course not. I just never pictured you as the dramatic arts type, especially since you are the high school quarterback," Mr. Bostwick said. "In fact, your presence here could mean that we could have a little star power for our next production. Welcome, Mr. Hunt to our humble drama club."

Cristina waved at Owen with her free hand. He waved back at her. He didn't want it to look too obvious so he took a seat behind her. She looked back at him and grinned. Bobby, on the other hand, was not so happy. He had seen the sign-up sheet and noticed Cristina's name, followed by Owen's name on the sheet – both names were clearly written by Cristina. That was the only reason he joined the damn drama club. He had to keep an eye on Owen Hunt.

"Well, now that everyone is here. Let me just say again that my name is Harold Bostwick and this is my assistant, Stella Fairbanks. I am so pleased we had a good turnout for today's meeting. Some of you are new members and some of you are veterans of our productions.

"Let me just say that the drama club always produces two plays a year. Once in the fall term and the other in the spring term. This term, we are going to do a modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet. As usual, it won't just be about acting, there would be some singing involved," Mr. Bostwick said.

Good grief, Owen thought. The only singing he had ever done was in the shower and in church. He had never acted before in front of an audience before, now they want him to be singing, too. He wondered what did he get himself into. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Naturally, everyone will have to audition. We don't know if we have some stars among us that we don't know about. Those who don't get roles will be placed in stage management and prop-building," Mr. Bostwick said. Ah, Owen thought, that sounds more like it. He could build props; that's what he could do.

"Also, folks, I just want to let you know that whoever gets the role of Romeo and Juliet will probably have to kiss in this production. I hope no one is shy about that," Miss Fairbanks said. There was a murmuring among the students when that statement was made.

Did she say kissing, Owen thought. His first thought was if Cristina won the role of Juliet, then he would have to watch some boy kissing her. He was totally mortified. No, no, that would not do, he thought. If she was auditioning for Juliet, then it was obvious that he had to audition for the role of Romeo. The things he did for this girl, he never imagined he would be doing.

"Well, alright then. Auditions will be held on Wednesday. Everyone can get a copy of the script, when you leave. Please note that everyone can choose a role that they think they would like to do. If you are cast, you may not get that role that you auditioned for but another role which we think might better suit you. Also, choose a song from the songlist to sing," Mr. Bostwick said. "It's going to be a lot of work and I hope everyone realizes that. Okay, that is it for today's meeting. Bye, folks, see you on Wednesday at the same time."

Everyone went and collected their scripts and song lists from Miss Fairbanks. Mr. Bostwick turned to Owen, "Son, I think you have the presence to make a great Romeo. Do you have a singing voice?"

"Honestly, sir, I don't know," Owen said. "We will see. I will try on Wednesday." Bobby was miffed when he heard Mr. Bostwick say that to Owen. Did Bostwick think the rest of them were chopped liver? He was going to show them that he had the talents to be a fantastic Romeo.

He turned to Cristina, "What are you going to try out for?"

"I guess I will just read for Juliet. It doesn't matter, anyway. There is no guarantee you will get the role you read for. For all I know, they will give me the role of the old nurse," Cristina said.

"No, you're too pretty to be the nurse," Bobby said.

"Well, thank you for your vote of confidence, Bobby but you haven't heard my singing voice. I may sound like a croaking frog," Cristina said, laughing.

"Never," Owen and Bobby said at the same time. They both looked at each other and gave each other a glare.

"Well, okay, " Cristina said. "Owen, are you ready to take me home?" Bobby was horrified. Cristina was getting a ride home with Owen Hunt. If she needed a ride, she could have told him, he thought. He wished he was old enough to get his own car. He sighed. He had to wait another year for that to happen.

"Yeah, I am ready," Owen said. He picked up Cristina's knapsack, as well as his own and headed out to the door.

"Bye, Bobby," Cristina said, as she followed Owen out of the room.

* * *

><p>On Wednesday afternoon at the next drama club meeting, there was an air of excitement. Today was audition day.<p>

"Is everyone ready?" Mr. Bostwick said. "First, we will do the girls and we will do it in alphabetical order." Cristina sighed. Alphabetical order meant that she would be the last to audition, given that her surname started with Y. Plus she had to listen to all of the girls ahead of her and suppose they were so much better than her that she would pale in comparison. She was getting more and more nervous. It didn't matter to her if she did not get the role of Juliet. She just wanted any role, as long as she didn't have to build props. She was not very handy with the hammer.

When it was her turn, she prayed she would not bomb. She started tentatively with her speech. She stumbled on a few words and was embarrassed.

"It's okay, Cristina. Don't be nervous, let's take it from the top. You can do it," Mr. Bostwick said. "Just focus on one person and just forget the rest of us are here." Owen smiled at her, encouragingly. She focused on him and started her monologue again. She started slowly but got stronger with each word. Her eyes were shining by the time she finished.

"That was terrific, Cristina. Let's hear you sing," Bostwick said. "What are you going to sing?"

"If I Die Young," Cristina said and then proceeded with a sweet, soaring version of the country song by the Band Perry. Her voice was angelic, Owen thought. When she was finished, everyone, especially Owen applauded, wildly. It was apparent that she was going to be cast as Juliet.

When she came back to her seat, Owen whispered to her, "I didn't know you had a voice like that."

"Me neither," she said.

Bostwick stood up. "Okay, it is now the boys' turn. Alphabetical order again."

Alphabetical order meant that Bobby Chamberlain would sing before Owen Hunt. After Bobby's audition, Owen grudgingly had to admit that Bobby was not half-bad. He just had to be better.

"Okay, Owen, let's see what you can do," Bostwick said. Owen started strongly with his audition. It turned out that he was pretty good. Then he started his song, "Somebody I used to Know" by Gotye. It was revealed that Owen had a rather awesome rock voice. Bobby gritted his teeth.

As Owen went back to his seat, Cristina whispered to him, "I didn't know you had a voice like that."

"Me neither," he whispered back. Owen thought he had it in the bag. He was far better than any boy who had auditioned before him. That is, until sophomore Darren Longden performed. Owen remembered Darren from grade school but had not paid much attention to him when he entered high school last year. Maybe, he should have. Darren possessed an almost operatic voice that filled the room to its rafters.

"Wow, oh, wow," Mr. Bostwick said. "Your voice is amazing." It was Owen's turn to grit his teeth. He now remembered that Darren, along with Bobby, used to hang around Cristina when she was in grade school.

When Darren went back to his seat, Cristina said, "That was fantastic, Darren." The boy gave her a shy smile. Owen's only consolation was that he felt he was better at the acting part of the audition.

When the audition ended, Mr. Bostwick said, "Tomorrow we will put up the cast for the production on the bulletin board. You all did wonderful today. Thank you for your enthusiasm."

When Owen got to school the next day, there was a crowd around the bulletin board. It was clear the casting for the production had already been put up. His heart beat faster. Did he get the role of Romeo or would he have to watch another boy kiss Cristina? He stepped up to the bulletin board and looked for his name.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I really appreciate your reviews.**


	8. Chapter 8 Disappointment

Cristina waited until the crowd had disappeared in front of the bulletin board. She wanted to be alone to see if she had been cast. If they gave her the role of prop-builder, she would at least see it by herself and not be embarrassed.

She took a quick glance around before she approached the board. "Please don't let me have to build props. I am terrible with a hammer and nails." She stared at the list. It was in alphabetical order and she looked for her name at the bottom of the page. There it was, she was Juliet. Her face broke out into a huge smile. She was Juliet. Now her mom, dad and Garrett had to come and see in the drama production.

She then looked who was Romeo. It was Darren Longden. She had to admit that was a good choice, even though she had hoped that it would have been Owen, if she had been named Juliet. After all, she had kissed Owen before, not once but twice and she knew what it was like to kiss him. She would have been totally comfortable kissing him. He was the only boy she had ever kissed in her life and now because of this play, she would be kissing another.

Maybe it was for the best, she thought. After all, Owen already had a girlfriend – that Tammy Lester girl. She looked like she would have acted like a total bitch, if Owen was kissing another girl. She didn't understand how Owen could have a girlfriend like that.

She realized she hadn't even bothered to check what role they had chosen for Owen. She looked for his name. He was going to be Paris, Juliet's handsome and wealthy suitor. That was a good role, she thought. Then she looked for Bobby's name. He had been cast as Mercutio. She wondered if Bobby liked that role.

She walked away from the bulletin board in glee. She was Juliet! She walked to her class, as if she was on air.

Ten minutes earlier, Owen had seen his name next to the role of Paris. He also saw Cristina's name next to Juliet and Darren Longden's name next to Romeo. He snickered when he saw that Bobby had been cast as Mercutio. Both he and Bobby had been stymied in their pursuit of the role of Romeo and now, they both had to watch Cristina kiss Darren Longden. He was peeved. He decided to seek out Mr. Bostwick, before classes started to find out why he didn't get the role of Romeo.

He found Mr. Bostwick in the school auditorium.

"Mr. Bostwick," Owen called out from the auditorium door. Bostwick turned around and beckoned him to come forward.

"Ah, yes, Owen Hunt, how can I help you?" Mr. Bostwick said, taking off his glasses to wipe the lenses before putting them back on.

"Mr. Bostwick, I just saw the casting sheet on the bulletin board," Owen started before Bostwick interrupted him. "Yes, young Hunt, you were cast as Paris. I thought that was a good role for you. He is a handsome young man and you are a handsome young man."

"Well, that's just it. I thought you said that I had the presence to make a good Romeo and I was wondering why was it that I didn't get the role?" Owen asked, a little bewildered by the casting choice.

"Well, yes, I had seriously considered you for the role of Romeo. You gave a fantastic audition yesterday," Bostwick said.

"Then, what did I do wrong?" Owen asked.

"Oh, you did nothing wrong. The choice of who played Romeo was predicated by the person I chose to be Juliet. Little Miss Yang," Bostwick said.

"So because you chose Cristina, I couldn't be chosen?" Owen asked in disbelief.

"Well, you know Juliet was a 13-year-old girl, who was turning 14. I decided to go realistic and choose a 14-year-old girl for the role. Hence, I had no choice but to choose a young man who was close in age to Cristina. So it came down to Darren and Bobby, who are both 15 but I decided Darren had the better voice. Plus he is only five foot seven and if we put a three-inch heel on petite Miss Yang, she could be close to five foot four and they would look just about right in height," Bostwick explained.

Owen was incredulous. Was Bostwick telling him that he was not chosen as Romeo because he was too tall and too old for Cristina? Bostwick caught the look on the boy's face. It was obvious to him that he was disappointed.

"I am sorry, Owen. But given Cristina's age, it seemed more appropriate to have a younger boy in the role. Now, if I had chosen Kristen Fellowes for the role of Juliet, you would have been the perfect choice for Romeo. After all, she is 17 and stands at five foot eight," Bostwick said, hoping that would have been a good explanation for the boy. "If we had chosen you for Romeo, we would have had to put Cristina on a box for the kissing scene."

"Thanks for the explanation," Owen said, as he started walking away. He understood but he didn't have to like it.

"Owen, Paris is a very good role. But if you like, I can make you an understudy for the Romeo role," Bostwick said, hoping that would appease him.

"Understudy? What's that?" Owen asked. He was not really into all of this drama club stuff and he was unaware of what that was.

"Well, what it means is if anything happens to Darren on the day of the show, like he gets sick or in an accident, you would be required to fill in for him. However, it does mean that you will have to learn all of Romeo's lines and his songs, so you can step in on a moment's notice. Plus you would have to attend all of their rehearsals to make sure you know all of the direction cues of where you should be on the stage," Bostwick said. "Would you like that?"

"Yes, sir, I think I can handle that," Owen said. "Thanks." As he walked away, he chided himself that he was actually hoping that Darren broke his leg or something and he could step into the role opposite Cristina. At least, being the understudy meant that he could be there to watch Darren and Cristina's rehearsals. He headed to his first class.

* * *

><p>At lunchtime, he caught up with Cristina. She and her friend, Madeleine were at their usual corner table. He sat down to chat.<p>

"Hey, I see you were cast as Juliet," he said, nonchalantly. "I am Paris."

"Yes," she said. "I saw that. Congratulations."

"Well, I am also the understudy for Romeo's role, too," Owen said.

"That's great. So if Darren can't perform, you can step in. Is it bad of me to hope that he gets sick so you can be Romeo," Cristina chuckled.

"No, I don't think so because I am hoping for the same thing," he said. "Hey, maybe we can run lines with each other after school, like on the days when we don't have rehearsals."

"Yeah, sure, if you want. Do you want to do it on Friday?" she asked, hopefully.

"Oh, Friday is really bad for me. In fact, all Fridays until the end of October are bad for me. It's football season, we have games every Friday night," Owen said.

"Ooh, I forgot, you are the quarterback on the football team," Cristina said. At the mention of football games, Madeleine lit up, immediately. Owen noticed that, so he decided to capitalize on that.

"So, Cristina, instead of rehearsing on Friday night, do you want to come to watch me play?" he said. "I am sure your friend would like to come, too." Madeleine nodded immediately.

"I don't know," she said. "Usually, on a Friday, Garrett has some kind of boring activity which we usually attend – chess tournament, debate club, science exhibition. So my dad mightn't be able to come get me after the game."

"Well, if you wish, I can take you home, after the game," he said.

"But won't you want to hang out with the other guys after the game in some sort of victory party," she said.

"I have gone to many of those since I have been playing football at school. They are all the same, just some food and drink and hanging out with the cheerleaders," he said. He failed to mention that one of the cheerleaders was Tammy.

"Well, okay. If that is alright with you, can Madeleine come, too?" she asked. Her friend nodded, enthusiastically.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "Get your dad to drop you off and I will take you home."

"Okay, I will," she said. "Thanks. " Owen walked to the table where his friends usually sat.

"So still talking to the freshmen, I see," Peter said.

"So do you have a problem with that?" Owen said.

"No, no. By the way, did my eyes deceive me when I passed the bulletin board, this morning?" John said. "You have been cast in the school play in the role of Paris."

"Yes, I have," Owen said. "And I am proud of it." His firm tone clearly meant he was not going to take any ribbing about it.

"So you are going to be wearing tights and saying words like 'thou' and singing?" Shelly tried to stifle a giggle.

"No tights because it's a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet. We will be wearing clothes like what normal teenagers wear like jeans and t-shirts. We will be speaking in modern English and yes, I will be singing," Owen said.

"That's a relief," Peter said. "There was no way I was going to part with my hard-earned money to watch you prance around in tights and trying to decipher all of that Shakespearean gibberish."

"You don't have any hard-earned money," Tricia said. "Your mom gives you an allowance, Peter."

"Oh, hush, Tricia, it just sounded better to say that," Peter admitted.

"So does this mean you are going to be hanging around the drama geeks," Tammy said. "What about football?"

"Well, it won't interfere with football. Practice is on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and the game is on Friday. Drama club is on Monday and Wednesday," he said.

"So what do you think coach will say?" John said.

"Well, as long as it doesn't affect my game, he doesn't have a say," Owen said. "Let's not talk about this, anymore."

* * *

><p>The next day, which was Friday, and therefore, game day. There was a lot of excitement, whenever it came to football at the school. The school were champions last year and they were hoping to repeat this year, especially with Owen Hunt back as quarterback. As a senior, this was going to be his last year playing for the school and his presence on the field would be greatly missed, when he graduated.<p>

He was used to all of the accolades and all of the other students giving him pep talks, whenever it was game day. But he only cared whether one person was there at the game. He found her at her locker.

"Hey, Cristina," he said. "Did your dad say you can come to the game? You told him that I was taking you home."

She looked up at him with a forlorn look. "No, I can't come."

He looked so crestfallen that she was sorry she said that. "Oh, sorry. I was just joking. Yes, I am coming. Dad said you have to bring me back, straight after the game."

"So you'll be there!" he said, happily.

"Yup," she said. "Dad will pick me up after school and drop me off in time for the game. By the way, I am very excited. This is my first high school football game."

"I promise it will be a good one. We're playing the Wolverines from Highland Park," he said. "They are a good team but I am confident that we can beat them."

"Okay, I will be there in the stands, cheering you on," she said.

"I will look out for you," he said.

"You better do that and wave at me," she said. "I am taking time out of my Friday night to come see you play. And you better win."

"Okay, Cristina. Gotta go to class, now," he said, with a huge smile. He felt light-hearted all day and couldn't wait for the game, tonight.

* * *

><p>Cristina and Madeleine were very excited. They found what they thought would be good seats to see the game but were shooed away by some mean seniors. They found some other seats that weren't as good but nobody was chasing them away, so they stayed there.<p>

Owen was warming up on the field. He looked to the stands. He could not find Cristina at all. He scanned every bleacher but he could not see her. She swore she was going to be there; he was disappointed. It was only when he heard her voice that he knew she was there.

"Owen!" she yelled. She also got Madeleine to yell because she wasn't sure she was going to be heard above the noise on the field. He followed the sound of their voices and finally saw them. They had terrible seats and probably weren't going to see well from there.

He went across to talk to them. "What are you doing there? You won't be able to see anything from there."

"We had better seats but we got chased by some seniors," she said.

"Damn seniors. They always think they own the school," he said. He called over one of the equipment guys. "Jinx, can you ensure that my friends get some good seats?"

"Sure, Owen," Jinx said, pleased he could help out the star quarterback, even though he was trying to help some little freshmen. Jinx did as he was told and found Cristina and Madeleine better seats. From the field, Owen tracked where Jinx had placed them. They were good seats; he could see her just as well from the field as she did from the bleachers. He waved at her, she waved back. Tammy, who was a cheerleader on the sidelines, saw Owen waving and followed his gaze to Cristina. This was getting out of hand, she thought. Owen needed to get rid of his special project, now and she was going to make sure that it happened. No one was going to threaten her place as Owen Hunt's girlfriend and certainly not a 14-year-old freshman.

The wheels had already started turning in Tammy's head.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Thank you for your comments. I do appreciate reading them.**


	9. Chapter 9 After the game

The football game was exciting. Not that Cristina could tell what was happening much. She only knew that they they had to get the ball to the other team's end zone or whatever it was. She kept her eyes trained on Owen and now and then, he would look in her direction and give her a smile. In the end, their school won and everyone crowded the players to offer their congratulations.

She knew Owen was to take her and Madeleine home at the end of the game. She didn't know quite where to meet him, as he was going into the locker room to change and take a shower.

Madeleine asked, "Where are we supposed to meet him?"

"I don't know," Cristina answered. "Maybe in the parking lot." It was then their question was answered. Owen had sent a text to her phone. "Meet me at the entrance to the field."

"Ah, Madeleine. The entrance of the football field. Let's just go and wait there. He probably has to change his clothes," Cristina said. They took their time to walk to the entrance because they knew they had to give him some time to change. As they stood at the entrance, she saw Tammy and some of the other cheerleaders pass. Apparently, they were going to some after-game party. They all seemed to be in very high spirits. Tammy turned around and saw Cristina and her mousy-looking friend, standing at the entrance. She figured that they were probably waiting for one of their parents to come pick them up. Tammy wondered whether she should wait by Owen's car or head straight to the party with Shelly and Tricia. She decided to go with the girls; she would catch up with Owen at the party.

Fifteen minutes later, Owen came to the entrance. His hair was still damp from washing it.

"Hey, Cristina, Madeleine, let's just take you girls home," he said. They dutifully followed him to his car. Madeleine got in the back seat and Cristina got into the front passenger seat. He waited until she buckled herself before he started the car.

"So how did you girls enjoy the game?" he asked.

"Awesome," Madeleine said. "When is the next one?"

"Next week Friday," he said. He looked at Cristina, "You haven't said anything, Cristina. Did you enjoy it?"

She looked at him. "Very much. It was very exciting. I just don't understand it much. All I know you have to get the ball to the other side. You have a great throwing arm."

"Why, thank you," he said. "One of these days, we will watch a football game and I will explain all of the rules of the game to you. Deal?"

"Deal," she said. She noticed that Owen passed the street where her house was and was heading to Madeleine's house first. That was weird, she thought, given that Madeleine's house was further away from the school than her own. It would have made more sense if he had dropped off Cristina first, then Madeleine.

As they got to Madeleine's house, she got out of the car. "Thank you for inviting us to the game and getting us good seats."

"It has been my pleasure, Madeleine," Owen said. They waited until Madeleine got in her front door before Owen drove off.

"So, Cristina, are you hungry? Do you want to get something to eat?" he asked. "Why don't we drive downtown and get some authentic Chicago deep dish pizza?

"Downtown? What about my dad saying to bring me back home after the game?" she asked. She didn't really like to cross her dad.

"Don't worry about that. Your dad is not too much of a sports nut. Just tell him the game went into overtime," he said, hoping to persuade her.

She thought for a moment. She really was hungry and she had never been downtown in the night. She looked at him. "Let's do it, Owen." She was feeling a little adventurous.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go."

It was a quick trip downtown. Cristina was excited with seeing all of the night activity and the bright lights. Owen pulled up in front of the pizza place and ordered a deep dish pizza and two Cokes. He brought it back as soon as soon as he could. He drove to the lakeshore and they started enjoying the pizza.

"Gosh, this is so yummy," Cristina said. "Heavenly."

"Yeah," Owen said. "My dad used to take my sister and me down to that place, when we were kids and then we would drive to the lakeshore and eat pizza." After two slices, Cristina was already full, while Owen managed to put away three slices.

"Let's go sit on the hood and watch the sky," he said. He helped her up and they sat on the hood, watching the stars. He pointed out the constellations to her.

"I didn't know you were that much into astronomy," she said.

"Yeah, I have a big telescope that my dad got me for my 15th birthday," he said. "I will show it to you some time. You will see them a lot better than with your naked eye."

She shivered as a cold breeze blew in from the lake. "Are you cold?" he asked.

"A little," she answered. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Is that better?"

She reveled in the warmth of his body and the smell of his cologne. "Yes," she said. They stayed like that for 10 minutes, until it got too cold to stay out there any longer.

"Let's get you home," he said. She agreed. He drove, quickly back to their town and dropped her in front of her walkway. "Just remember to tell your dad that the game went overtime."

She looked at him. "Thanks for a great night, Owen. The game, the pizza, the lakeshore, the night sky. Thanks." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He fought the urge to turn his head so that their lips would meet.

"No problem, Cristina," he said. He watched as she went up her walkway and into her house. He then started his drive home. His phone buzzed. He looked at the screen. It was Tammy. He answered.

"Hey, Tammy, what's up?" he said.

"Where the hell are you?" she said. "Everyone is here and wondering where you are. They keep asking me your whereabouts and I don't have a clue. I have been waiting over an hour for you to get here."

"Sorry about that," he said. "I don't think I am coming to the after-game party. I had to drop Cristina and her friend at home. To be honest, I am feeling a little tired. Long day at school and then the game."

"What?" Tammy shrieked. "You're not coming! How am I going to get home?"

"You have lots of friends, there," Owen said. "I am sure you can get a ride home. Anyway, gotta go, now."

He hung up the phone before Tammy could keep him on the phone, any longer. She was going to be shrieking and he was not up for that. He preferred to think about the sweet kiss he got from Cristina on his cheek. That was how he would have liked to remember how the night ended.

As Owen hung up on her, Tammy was fuming. Owen Hunt had the audacity to hang up on her. Not only that, he had blown off the after-game party, just so he could drop off his special project and her friend. Well, she knew she had one advantage on that 14-year-old. She was 18 with a woman's body. No man could resist this, she thought. She needed to start her plan, soon.

* * *

><p>Owen woke up early on Saturday. He had a good night's sleep. Yesterday had been a wonderful day, especially taking Cristina to the city. He had football practice this morning and he was ready for a great workout.<p>

He had breakfast and headed down to the football field. Most of his teammates were already there, including John and Peter.

"Where did you disappear to, after the game?" Peter asked. "Just imagine the star quarterback was missing from the after-game party."

"I had things to do," Owen said.

John said, "I gave Tammy a ride home. She was furious that you didn't show up. Don't expect she will be a happy camper on Monday morning for school."

"Whatever," Owen said. "I can handle Tammy and her BS."

Coach Flanders came out to start practice, so thankfully, all discussion on Tammy ended. Owen was grateful for that.

* * *

><p>Cristina rubbed her eyes. She looked at her clock on her bedside table. It was a little after 9 a.m. She hadn't meant to sleep so late but going out with Owen to the city had tuckered her out.<p>

She reluctantly rolled out of bed. Bobby's parents were coming by at 10 a.m. as they had invited her to join the Chamberlain family at Six Flags amusement park. She suspected that Bobby had been the instigator of the plan to ask her to come with them. She really didn't mind. She loved going to amusement parks.

She took a shower, brushed her teeth and changed into jeans, t-shirt and a sweatshirt hoodie. She pulled on her socks and sneakers, then headed downstairs for some breakfast.

"You're finally up," Helen said. "Everyone ate breakfast an hour ago. There are still some sausages and you can have some buttered toast. I will get you a cup of tea."

"Thanks, mom," Cristina said.

"So you're ready to go to Six Flags," Stanley asked. "That was very nice of the Chamberlains to invite you along."

"Yes, dad," she said. "Looking forward to it." As she munched on her toast and drank her tea, the phone rang. It was Bobby.

"Hi, Mrs. Yang. Can you just tell Cristina we will be there in 15 minutes?" Bobby told Helen.

"Okay, Bobby." She hung up the phone and told her daughter to hurry up, she was being picked up in 15 minutes. Soon enough, the Chamberlains were there; Cristina climbed into the back seat of the eight-seater van with Bobby. His two younger sisters, 11-year-old Jordan and 10-year-old Taylor were also in the car. They turned around and looked at Bobby and Cristina.

Jordan and Taylor both started chanting, "Bobby has a girlfriend, Bobby has a girlfriend."

"Mom!" Bobby protested.

"Girls, leave your brother alone. You are embarrassing him in front of his guest," Mrs. Chamberlain said, with a smile in her voice.

Bobby was very pleased that Cristina had come along to the amusement park, even though they were going to spend the entire day with his family. Maybe they can get some alone time on one of the rides, he thought. He looked at her, peering out of the window. Gosh, he really liked this girl and he had for a long time.

He had been downcast when he found out that he had not been picked for the Romeo role. But at least, Owen Hunt had not been picked for it, either. As Mercutio, he could still be in the play, even though he did get killed, early on.

When they got to the park, Bobby asked if he and Cristina could go off by themselves. His father agreed but told them they were to meet back at a particular spot by 5 p.m. Bobby was so glad to be alone with Cristina. He held her hand as they walked around the park. They did a couple of rides and when she got scared in some of the crazier rides, he would hold her hand or put his arm around her. He even bought her a hot dog for lunch. They sat there, happily munching their hot dogs, when Cristina got a text from Owen. He had just finished his football practice and asked what she was doing. She texted back that she was at Six Flags with Bobby.

It was a good thing that Cristina did not see Owen's face. He was peeved. How could she be going to Six Flags with Bobby Chamberlain after they had that lovely time last night, together? This girl was exasperating him.

By 5 p.m., Bobby and Cristina had made their way back to the designated meeting spot. "Did you have a good time, Cristina?" Mr. Chamberlain asked.

"A great time," she said.

"Wonderful," he said. The family and Cristina piled into the van and they headed back home. When they got to Cristina's house, Bobby walked her up to her front door.

"Cristina, can I get a kiss?" he asked, shyly.

He had been very nice to her, all day. She figured that there was no harm in it. So she nodded, then closed her eyes and awaited his kiss. He had been waiting for this moment for years. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips. It was surprising to Cristina because the only boy she had ever kissed before was Owen. It felt different than when she kissed Owen. It was certainly pleasant enough but it didn't make her feel the same way as she did with Owen. She was only 11 at the time but she could still remember the tingle. Maybe, she needed to kiss Bobby more to see if she could feel that tingle.

Their kiss was only broken when they heard Bobby's little sisters making some whooping sounds from the car. "Bobby is kissing his girlfriend," they yelled.

"Bye, Cristina, I am sorry about them," he said.

"It's okay," Cristina said, as she opened her front door and stepped inside.

"Mom, can you please tell them to shut up," Bobby said, when he got back into the car. He touched his lips. He wanted to kiss her some more.

* * *

><p>Owen was at home, lying on his bed, throwing a ball in the air, when his phone rang. It was Tammy. He sighed before he answered.<p>

"Owen," she said, sweetly. "Can you come pick me up at the mall? My dad was supposed to pick me up but apparently, he has a little crisis at work and had to go in. Can you do me this favor?"

"Yeah, sure," Owen said.

"Great," she said. "Can you pick me up at the west entrance?"

"Okay," he said. He picked up his car keys and headed to the mall. Tammy was waiting for him. She had about seven shopping bags with her. He helped her with the bags and put them in his trunk. She got in the car and they headed to her house.

They took out the bags from the car and went into the house. There was no one else at home because Tammy was an only child, who lived with her divorced dad.

"Thanks, Owen," she said. "Can you carry them to my bedroom? I really don't want my dad to see all of the stuff I bought. He will have a fit."

"Okay," Owen said, as he followed Tammy to her bedroom. He had never been in there, before. It was very girly, with lots of pink and purple. He put down the bags and was headed out of the room.

"Owen, why don't you stay?" she called out to him. He looked back and to his surprise, he found Tammy unbuttoning her shirt to reveal her bare breasts.

His mouth dropped open.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your reviews. I do appreciate when you leave your comments.**


	10. Chapter 10 First read

Owen quickly turned away from Tammy. "Could you please button your shirt?"

Tammy laughed. "What's the matter, Owen? Afraid of some bare boobs?"

"Well, if you are not going to button up, I am going to have to leave," he said. He hurriedly headed out of her bedroom and down the corridor.

"Wait, wait," she called out, buttoning up her shirt. "Don't go; I am buttoning up."

"Are you decent?" he asked, before turning around.

"Yes, I am," she said, a little woefully.

He turned around and looked at her. "What are you trying to pull here, Tammy?" he asked. "Did you call me from the mall under some false pretense to get me here, so you can take off your shirt?"

She stammered as she spoke. "Not exactly. I really did need a ride home and I thought we could take the opportunity to have some fun, since my dad is not at home."

"I didn't come here to have fun, Tammy," Owen said. "I was just being a friend."

"So you're my friend, Owen? You certainly give lots of mixed signals," she said. "Sometimes, you hold my hand. Sometimes, you treat me like a girlfriend. Sometimes, you treat me like a buddy. What is it?"

"I have always thought of you as a friend, Tammy," he said. "You were one of the first friends I had when I came to high school. And you can't tell me that you haven't used it to your advantage. I have allowed you to let people think that you are my girlfriend, when that's not really true."

"Well, people do think I am your girlfriend and if that's the case, why don't we go along with it? I can give you all of the benefits of a girlfriend," she said. "Come on, Owen, are you a virgin? That's why you're scared of some bare boobs."

"Even though it is none of your business, I am not a virgin," he said.

Tammy was shocked. Who was this girl that Owen had slept with? And how did that get past her?

"Who? Who was she?" Tammy was incensed. "Who in school have you slept with?"

"Again, it is none of your business but she wasn't from our school," Owen said. The truth was that he, Peter and John had gone to a college frat party, where they had hooked up with a couple of girls. His hormones were running wild and he ended up having a hook-up with an 18-year-old college girl. After the encounter, he found himself feeling empty on the inside. It was just a physical act and there had been no feeling behind it. He told himself that the next time, he slept with someone, it had to be with a girl he really cared about.

Tammy could not even imagine who the girl could be. Didn't Owen know that she could give him all he wanted?

"So, why is it that you can't be my boyfriend, Owen?" she asked. "I can be a great girlfriend."

"Well, I just don't feel that way about you," he said.

"So is there someone else? That girl you slept with?" she asked. She needed to know.

"No," Owen said. "That girl is not part of my life and only after, did I realize that it was a total mistake. I didn't feel for her what I should have felt to sleep with her. It should have been special to me but it wasn't.

"You are a pretty girl, Tammy, and I am sure that there are lots of guys in school who would have jumped at the chance to sleep with you. But I am not emotionally connected to you. And that was missing when I slept with that girl.

"Just think about it. This is my advice to you. Find someone who feels the same way about you as you do about them. I am not that guy."

He looked at her. "I am sorry, Tammy, if this hurts you. I think I better leave now. I will show myself out."

He got out of that house, as quickly as he could. He hated that he hurt her because he knew rejection is always hard to take. Tammy sat in her bedroom and started to cry. She could not believe that she had spent all of her high school years, pining after a guy who did not want her. His refusal had hurt so much.

* * *

><p>On Monday at school, Owen made every effort to avoid Tammy. He was at his locker, when Peter sidled up to him.<p>

"Owen, I have been hearing things," Peter said, with a sly grin.

"What have you been hearing?" Owen asked.

"I heard that Tammy made the big play for you and you turned her down," Peter said. "Are you crazy, dude? You get a chance to score one with Tammy Lester and you refused. You know how many guys would want to be in your shoes. She is one of the hottest chicks in school."

Owen sighed. He was sorry that this piece of news already got around his group of friends.

"Pete, I was just trying to save the girl some pain. I don't feel that way about her and she shouldn't be losing her virginity with someone, who doesn't love her in that way," Owen said.

"What rock have you been under? Tammy is no virgin," Peter said.

"What?" Owen said. He was a little surprised.

"Yeah, Tammy knocked boots with a couple of European guys, while she and Shelly went to Europe together, last summer. First, it was some French guy in Paris and an Italian guy in Rome," Peter said. "Shelly told me. She couldn't keep it to herself. She was dying to tell someone. Unfortunately, I was the first person she saw."

"Well, well, well," Owen said. Knowing this actually made him feel a little bit better about the situation. "Actually, that makes me feel less bad about the situation. It wasn't like if she was offering her virginity to me, and I turned her down."

"Are you going to hang out with us during lunchtime?" Peter asked.

"I don't know if I will be welcome," Owen replied. "Given what has transpired between Tammy and me."

"Hey, she can hang out with Shelly and Tricia and John and I will hang out with you," Peter said.

"Thanks, buddy," Owen said. "We'll see how it goes."

* * *

><p>During the lunch break, he went to the cafeteria and did an automatic check for Cristina. There she was at her corner table with her friend, Madeleine and Bobby. Owen shook his head at the sight of Bobby. He looked around for the guys. There, they were with a bunch of other guys from the football team. He noticed Tammy with Shelly and Tricia, giving him the stare down. "Whatever," he thought.<p>

He went to hang out with the guys during the lunch hour, while fending off the hostile glares of the girls. He decided that it was not going to bother him. After all, today was going to be a good day, since there were going to be rehearsals for the show, after school.

When he got to the auditorium, a couple of people were already there. Cristina was already there, reading her script. He went and sat next to her.

"Hey, Cristina," he said. "How was your weekend?"

"Fine," she said. "How was your weekend?"

"Interesting to say the least," he said. Bobby came in and spotted Owen chatting to Cristina. He felt a little less insecure because after all, he had already kissed Cristina on Saturday. He went and sat on the other side of her. Owen gave him a withering look but Bobby stood his ground. There was no way he was going to move from his seat.

"Good evening, young ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Bostwick said, as he entered the room. "I hope everyone has their scripts. We are going to have a run-through of the entire play today. You can all stay in your seats and we will just read it." There was a rustling of paper as everyone dug into their bags and took out their scripts.

"Good, good, let's start, with the narrator," Bostwick said. The read-through went quite smoothly, until they came to the kissing scene.

"Stop, this is a crucial scene in the play," Bostwick said. "This is where our modern-day Romeo and Juliet declare their love for each other so the kissing has to look authentic. So I can't have a super-shy Romeo and Juliet. So, I have to ask, Darren, have you ever kissed a girl before?"

Darren nodded. "Yes, I have," he said.

"Good, good," Bostwick said.

"Cristina, I know you are only 14 years old but have you kissed a boy before?" he asked. "Or will this be your first kiss?"

"No, Mr. Bostwick, it will not be my first kiss," she said. Both Owen and Bobby smiled at the thought. They caught each other smiling and they both realized at the same time, the significance of their smiles. They had both kissed Cristina.

Bobby was incredulous. Where and when did Cristina kiss Owen Hunt? He racked his brain. Had Cristina been kissing Owen while he was dating her?

Owen was incredulous. He knew that Cristina kissing Bobby had to be recent. More than likely on Saturday during or after the visit to Six Flags, he thought. He resented the boy even more.

"Ah, good, Cristina. So we won't have any shyness on display when we come to the kissing scene, then. Let's continue," Bostwick said. They read through the entire play until the very end.

"Now, that is a good run-through. I expect everyone to start learning their lines for the first two parts. We are going to start on Wednesday on the stage," Bostwick said. "A couple of housekeeping notes. There will be two performances of the play – the Friday and the Saturday before Thanksgiving week. Except for Darren and Cristina, everyone will have to be an understudy for another part. That means you will have to learn the lines and songs of the role that you are understudying.

"For example, Owen Hunt will be the understudy for the Romeo role and Kristen Fellowes will be the understudy for Juliet. I have a list here about the role each of you is going to understudy, please check that before you leave.

"Prop-builders, I will need you to start working on the set, while costume people, you will have to start looking for a suitable wardrobe for our cast. Clearly, our budget is limited, so we must be careful how we spend our scanty assets. I will be handling stage management, while Miss Fairbanks and her assistant will be handling the lighting and the music. So, prop-builders, costume designers and Miss Fairbanks, can you stay while we discuss all of the behind-the-scenes work?

"The rest of you are dismissed. I expect you to know your lines for first rehearsal on Wednesday," Bostwick said. "Please check the list of the roles you are going to understudy before you leave.

Bobby got up and went up to check the list. He found out he was understudying the role of Paris, Owen Hunt's role. It was like he could never get away from the guy. He turned around to see Cristina following Owen out of the door. Owen was carrying Cristina's knapsack, along with his own.

"Cristina," Bobby called out. She turned around and said, "Owen is giving me a ride home."

"Oh, okay," he said. He gritted his teeth. He really wished he was old enough to drive and maybe, his dad would buy him a car. That was something that Owen Hunt had on him, in addition to the older boy being the star quarterback football hero, a senior and one of the most popular guys in school. Seriously, he thought, he would have preferred to have Darren as his rival for Cristina's affections than big, handsome Owen Hunt. After all, Darren was closer to him in age and he actually knew him well from grade school, so he knew all of Darren's quirks.

Then, he remembered that Darren would be getting to kiss Cristina for the two performance shows plus all of the numerous rehearsal kisses. There was something so not right about that, Bobby thought. He only kissed Cristina once. He better get a couple of kisses in. After all, he was her kinda boyfriend, he consoled himself.

In his car, Owen put his and Cristina's backpacks in the back seat. He waited for her to buckle up before he drove off.

"So you're excited about the play?" he asked, taking a glance at her, now and then.

"Yes, very," she said. "Mom, Dad and Garrett have already promised to come. What about your family?"

"My parents are going to come. My sister Julia may not. After all, she is 23 years old now and she is living in her own apartment in the city. Little high school plays may not be her thing," he said.

"Julia? I haven't seen her in years. You know Garrett had an awful crush on her," Cristina said, giggling. "She never used to give him the time of day."

Owen laughed. He remembered Garrett's crush on Julia and how mean she was to him.

"I am sure if you ask her, she will come," Cristina said. "Your debut performance."

"I guess I could ask," he said. "Maybe Garrett will get a kick to see how she looks, now."

They arrived at Cristina's house. She looked at him. "Thanks for the ride, Owen," she said, as she got out of the car.

"No problem," he said. "Always a pleasure." He watched, going up her walkway, when she turned back and started running to the car.

"What's the matter?" he said. "You forget something?"

"No," she said. "It's not that late. Why don't you come inside and re-acquaint yourself with my parents, again? You can stay and we can learn our lines, together. I will give you tea and strawberry scones."

He got out of the car and followed her up the walkway. She opened the door. "Come in. Mom should be in the kitchen."

They dropped off their bags in the living room.

"Hey, Mom," Cristina said. "Look who I brought." Helen turned around and took a good look at the tall, blonde young man in her kitchen.

"Owen Hunt!" Helen exclaimed. "I have not seen you in years. My, how you've grown. You are such a handsome boy, you must drive all of the senior girls wild."

Owen blushed.

"Yeah, he does, Mom," Cristina said. "All of the girls talk about him. Even girls from my year but he has a girlfriend, Tammy Lester."

Owen looked at her in disbelief. Cristina actually thought that Tammy was his girlfriend.

"Let me correct that notion, Cristina," he said. "Tammy is not my girlfriend. She is just a friend."

"Oh," Cristina said. "I always thought that she was your girlfriend. She sure acted that way."

"Yeah, she does," he said, ruefully.

"Mom, can we get some tea and strawberry scones," Cristina asked.

"Yes, you may, fresh from the bakery," Helen said. "And I just made a pot of tea. Have a seat, you two." Owen and Cristina sat dutifully at the kitchen table, as Helen brought out the scones and the tea.

As he sipped on his tea, he had visions of himself as a seven-year-old boy, sitting at a tiny table, across from the curly-haired four-year-old girl, while they were surrounded by teddy bears and dollies. As he stared at the teenaged girl in front of him now, he knew he had loved her then and he loved her now.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your reviews. I do appreciate reading your thoughts.**


	11. Chapter 11 Just like old times

Garrett heard the laughter, emanating from the kitchen. He was surprised to see Owen, Cristina and his mom, sitting around the kitchen table, having tea and scones.

"Hey, Garrett," Owen said, on seeing his former friend.

"Hey, Owen," Garrett replied. "What are you guys doing?"

"I invited Owen to have some tea and scones with Mom and me," Cristina said. "Scones are delicious. Do you want one?"

"No, I am just going to wait for dinner. Where is Dad with the food, Mom?" Garrett asked Helen. "Why doesn't he just allow them to deliver?"

"Well, you know Dad," she said. She turned to Owen to explain. "Stanley likes to go down to the Chinese place when he orders takeout. Since he is such a good customer, they usually give him extra food, plus they always throw in an extra side dish."

"More food is always good," Owen said.

"Hey, why don't you stay over for dinner?" Helen said. "Stanley will be back soon and we always have tons of extra food. You can help us eat it."

Owen was unsure about it, since he didn't know how Garrett would feel about it. He looked at Garrett.

"Yeah, stay," Garrett said. "It will be less leftovers in the refrigerator if you stay."

Cristina looked at him, happily. "Call your mom and tell her you're having dinner with us."

Owen looked around. He really couldn't refuse, could he? Especially since Garrett seemed to have no problems with him staying over for dinner. "Well, okay," he said. "Thanks. I will give my mom a call." He made a quick phone call to his mother, who was more than a little surprised, given that he had not been to the Yangs' house in years.

"She said that it was fine because she didn't really cook anything, anyway," Owen said.

"Now we just have to wait for my dad to get home. I am pretty sure he stopped at Home Depot after picking up the food at the Chinese restaurant," Garrett said, having a seat. "Gosh, I am so hungry. I think I will have a scone." He picked up one of the strawberry scones and took a bite. "Mom, this is awesome." Helen poured her son a cup of tea.

"So, Owen," Helen said. "What are your plans for college? You're a senior, now and college is important."

"I have had quite a few offers because of football like from out of state but I am thinking of sticking closer to home," he said. "I have applied to Northwestern because I want a really top class education." He failed to mention that one of the reasons that he wanted to stay was that he could be close to Cristina, as she finished high school.

"Northwestern – that is a really good school, Owen," Helen said. "I hope you get in. Garrett has applied to CalTech and MIT and a couple of safety schools but he thinks it is going to be between these two."

"Whoa," Owen said. "You're going to be far away from home, if you choose either one, Garrett."

"Yup," Garrett said. "I am actually leaning towards CalTech for a really stupid reason. I know it is an excellent school and all that. But it is in Pasadena and the weather would be a lot better than Boston, for sure. Getting tired of these Chicago winters and maybe, a little warm sunshine would do me good."

"Nothing wrong with a little sun," Owen said.

"Not for you," Cristina poked him. "With your coloring, you would be burnt to a crisp in the sun."

"Ha, ha," Owen said, sarcastically.

"I think Garrett just wants to be just like one of the guys on The Big Bang Theory," Cristina said. "They are at CalTech."

"Ha, ha," Garrett said, sarcastically.

Both he and Owen smiled at the same time. They had both the same response to something Cristina said. It was just like the old days, when they were good friends. The two former friends, Cristina and Helen chatted for an hour, before they heard the sound of the garage door opening.

"I guess dad is here," Helen said, opening the door, leading to the garage. Stanley pulled in and took the food out of the car.

He came into the kitchen. "Ah, Owen, have you come to join us for dinner?" Stanley asked, as he put down the food on the kitchen table.

"Yes, sir, Mrs. Yang invited me to stay. Is that okay with you?" Owen responded.

"Of course it is. I guess you all have been waiting for me," he said. "I just had a quick stop at the Home Depot for my latest project." Garrett rolled his eyes. He knew his dad had to stop at the Home Depot, since it was near the Chinese restaurant.

"Okay, let's get some plates, honey," Stanley said. "We've got three hungry kids, here."

Helen brought out some plates and everyone took what they wanted from the boxes. "Did you get an extra side order?" Helen asked her husband.

"Naturally," he said. "And I got an extra food in everything I ordered. See it pays to become friends with the folks at the Chinese restaurant. We have more than enough food for everyone."

The Yang family and their guest were hearty eaters as they polished off most of the food. Owen was thoroughly enjoying himself. It was as if he was always part of their lives. He had missed their playful conversation with each other and the way they treated each other. He and his sister Julia were not as close as Garrett and Cristina were. He always attributed that to the seven year age difference between him and Julia.

"To top it off," Stanley announced. "We have lychee ice cream."

"Yum," Cristina said, clapping her hands. Helen brought out the ice cream bowls and for once, it was total silence around the table, as everyone licked their spoons clean. After the ice cream, Cristina asked her dad if they could use his study to run through some lines for the play. Her dad agreed. Owen followed Cristina to her dad's study and they brought out the scripts. Since Paris did not appear in the earlier part of the play, Owen read the lines of the other roles who had dialogue with Juliet. He offered her advice on how she should say certain lines.

After an hour of productive work, he finally looked at his watch. "I have to go home, Cristina. I have homework to do." He didn't want to leave but he knew he had to. She walked him to the door.

"Hey, can you come to the football game on Friday? It is an away game," he asked, hopefully.

"No," she said, as she sadly shook her head. "Dad says I can only go to the home games."

"It's just as well," he said. "I have to travel with the rest of the team on the bus, when we have away games and I wouldn't have my car to bring you home."

"That's okay. I will definitely be there for the next home game," she said, brightly. "See you tomorrow, Owen."

"Yeah, bye, Cristina," he said, as she gave him a hug before she closed the front door.

* * *

><p>Cristina sat by herself in her usual corner table in the cafeteria. Madeleine was late in getting there. She was reading a book, when she heard someone pull up a chair and sit at her table.<p>

"Hi, Cristina," Tammy said. Cristina looked up, wondering why the older girl was speaking to her. The only times she had ever spoken to Cristina before was when she was with Owen.

"Hi, Tammy," Cristina responded. She might as well be nice, even though she knew the truth about Owen and Tammy's relationship. She did think it was kind of pathetic that a girl pretended that some guy was her boyfriend for social status in high school.

"So Cristina, I thought I would offer you a piece of advice," Tammy said.

"Okay," Cristina said, putting down her book and wondering what advice could a cheerleader offer her.

"Well, I guess you've only probably started dating, is that right?" Tammy asked. Cristina nodded. She had no reason to lie about that.

Tammy continued, "The worst kind of guys to date in high school is jocks. They are so full of themselves and think that they are the greatest things in the world. They think everyone must cater them since they are the sporting heroes of the school."

Cristina found that statement ironic, since she was pretty sure that Tammy probably only dated jocks. She was even pretending to be a jock's girlfriend. But Cristina said nothing.

"Plus you have to fight off the girls who think that they are going to steal your guy away. Girls who don't know any better that stealing a girl's boyfriend is a no-no in high school," Tammy said, staring at Cristina straight in her face. "That's when the claws come out, Cristina, and that is when high school is not a very nice place."

Cristina wondered what in the world was Tammy talking about. As far as she knew, she wasn't stealing anybody's boyfriend. She was only dating Bobby and she knew that he didn't have a girlfriend.

"What you need, Cristina, is a nice, quiet boy in the same year as you," Tammy said. "He will understand you better, since you would be so close in age and all."

"Um, okay," Cristina said. "Thanks for the advice, I guess."

"Yeah, you are welcome. Just remember what I told you and you are going to do fine in high school," Tammy said.

"What are you doing here, Tammy?" Owen said, as he came up to the table. He had done his usual scan of the room to look for Cristina and was disturbed to see Tammy sitting at Cristina's table. Why was she talking to Cristina? He hoped it was not about him. He had already told Cristina that he was not Tammy's boyfriend. He wondered if she was filling up Cristina's head with some more untruths.

"Nothing, Owen," Tammy said. "Just giving Cristina some advice. I guess I better go." She got up and walked to her friends' table.

Owen sat down. "What did she tell you?"

Cristina looked at him. "It was a very strange conversation. She was telling me that I shouldn't date jocks because they are the worst. They think that they are the greatest things in school." Owen knew that was a hit directly at him. He was the most well-known jock in school. He glared at Tammy, who chose to ignore him.

"And that girls are always trying to steal your boyfriend," Cristina said. Owen knew that Tammy was referring to Cristina, even though in reality, Cristina was doing no such thing. "And that I should date a nice, quiet boy from my year because he would understand me better."

"Cristina, do you trust me?" he asked, his blue eyes staring intently at her chocolate brown eyes.

"Yes, Owen. Completely," she said. He was grateful that she said that.

"Stay away from Tammy Lester," he said. "She is bad news to you."

"Okay," Cristina said. She knew Owen would never steer her in the wrong direction, so she agreed. Madeleine finally made it to the table.

"What took you so long?" Cristina asked Madeleine, who had a huge smile on her face.

"I got my first date. This Saturday," Madeleine said, excitedly.

"Yay for you," Cristina said. "Bobby and I are going out this Saturday, too." Owen's ears perked up. Another date with Bobby?

"So what are you going to do?" Owen asked. He knew this would be her third date with Bobby in as many weeks.

"Oh, we are just going to the movies. That new superhero movie comes out," she said. "I am not too crazy about it but the star is really cute."

"Me, too," Madeleine said. "We're going to the movies, too. Maybe we will see each other, there."

Owen gritted his teeth as he thought about the last time he saw Bobby, putting his arm around Cristina at the movies.

"I want to see that movie, too," he said.

"Really?" Cristina said. "Why don't we all go out in a group? Me, you, Madeleine and we could all bring our dates. It could be fun."

Owen thought that this could work out in his favor. Now, he needed to find a girl to go out with him. He needed someone who was a friend, who would know that they were not really on a date. He knew who he could ask.

"Sure," he said, giving her a broad smile. He knew Bobby was going to be pissed but Owen did not care one bit.

"It's a date, then," Cristina said, laughing. Madeleine nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thank you for your thoughts.**


	12. Chapter 12 Group date

It was at the Wednesday rehearsal that Cristina dropped the bombshell on Bobby that their date was now going to be a group date with Owen and Madeleine and their respective dates.

Bobby could not believe his ears. He had wanted this date to be his alone time with Cristina and now he had to share with four other persons, including Owen Hunt of all people. He was pretty sure that Hunt had wheedled his way into his date.

He was about to protest when Mr. Bostwick called Cristina to the stage. She went up, a little nervous. She went over the lines that she and Owen had rehearsed together. Bostwick was beyond pleased at her delivery of the lines, as well as the inflection with which she said them.

"Cristina," Bostwick said. "That was wonderful. It is clear you have been rehearsing on your own."

"Yes, Mr. Bostwick. I have. Owen has been helping me," she said. Bobby's mind almost exploded. Hunt was helping with her lines! He could help her with her lines, if she had only asked him. Hunt was infiltrating every aspect of his relationship with Cristina. He was more than peeved now with the prospect of the group date on Saturday.

"Well, you two are doing a great job, together. Keep it up," Bostwick said. Owen smiled lovingly at Cristina and he was rewarded with an equally loving smile from the girl he loved.

* * *

><p>On Saturday night, Owen pulled up in front of his neighbor's house, which was only a couple of houses away from his. He had called her already, so she was outside on her sidewalk waiting.<p>

"Hey, Emily," he said, as she got in.

"Hey, Owen," she said. "How is life?"

"Pretty good," he said. "I have to go over some ground rules about this group date I have tonight."

"Fine," she said. "Where's the cash you promised me?"

He dug into his back pocket and handed her two crisp $20 bills. She kissed them and tucked the money into her purse.

"I am a little shocked that you are willing to pay me to go out with you. I mean, if I was into guys, I guess I wouldn't have minded. I am pretty sure a good-looking guy like you would easily get a girl," she said.

"It is precisely because you are not into guys that I am asking you to do this. With you, I am sure you won't get the wrong idea that I am interested. If I ask another girl, she would probably think that this could be the start of something and I really don't want to give anyone false hopes," he said.

"Well, it is a good thing my girlfriend agreed that I could help you out," Emily said, stretching out her long legs. Owen's neighbor, Emily, was a tall, beautiful girl with long blonde hair. She was 18 years old and a college freshman. Many of the boys in the neighborhood were bitterly disappointed when they found out that she was a lesbian. At five foot ten, she was only two inches shorter than Owen. They looked like an ideal couple, together, both blonde and tall. A real Ken and Barbie kind of pairing, except both of them knew the truth about each other.

"So, let's talk about the ground rules. We are actually going out with two other couples at the movies. I am interested in one of the girls. You are there to make her jealous," Owen said.

"Okay, that is fine," Emily said. "So I am willing to allow you to hold my hand and you could put your arm around my shoulder or my waist. There will be no kissing. I repeat, there will be no kissing."

"As if I would want to kiss you," Owen said. "Please. That would be the last thing on my mind."

"Hey, there are lots of guys who don't know my sexual orientation, who desperately want to kiss me," Emily said, proudly. "Don't worry, Owen, I will be the ideal, attentive date."

"Fine," he said. He parked the car at the movie theater. "They should be waiting for us outside. Ah, there they are." He spotted the four youngsters. Emily looked at them – a pretty Asian girl and a mousy brown-haired girl with their dates.

"You're kidding me, Owen. They are just kids," Emily said. "We're going out with kids."

"They are a couple of years younger than us," Owen admitted, sheepishly.

"So which one do you like? Oh, let me guess, it is the pretty Asian girl, with the lots of curly, dark hair," Emily said. "Am I right?"

"Yes, you are," Owen said, taking Emily's hand into his, as they walked to meet the other two couples.

"Owen, she is so tiny. She must be about five feet tall," Emily said.

"That's because she is only 14 years old and Asian. You know Asian girls tend to be small," Owen said. "Actually, she is almost five foot one. Don't mention her height; she is a little sensitive about it."

"I can't believe you. You love a 14-year-old," Emily said, giggling.

Owen stopped. "Emily, I have loved her for most of my life. I was seven years old when I first saw her. She was four. I don't know what it is but I have always felt we were connected, somehow. That someday, we were going to be together. I know she is only 14 and I am still waiting for her to grow up. By the way, you shouldn't lecture me about age differences. Your girlfriend is 23."

"Yes, that is true. A five year age difference," Emily said. "Yours is only three years. I guess you can't help what the heart wants."

"No, I can't," Owen said. "She is my soul mate."

"Well, here goes nothing," Emily said, putting on a brilliant smile.

"Hey guys," Owen said, as they walked up to the two young couples.

"Hey," the four of them said. The boys, Bobby and Madeleine's date, kept staring at this tall, beautiful girl. Their eyes were drawn to her full, bountiful breasts, which could not be missed under her tight sweater.

"This is Emily," Owen said. "This is Cristina, Bobby, Madeleine and I don't know this young man's name."

"Spencer," the boy stammered out. Owen thought he looked like a male version of Madeleine. They seem well-suited.

Cristina looked at the tall, blonde girl and suddenly felt inadequate. She looked at her small breasts, which were actually now developing and she suddenly felt self-conscious that she could not measure up.

She grabbed on to Bobby's hand to make herself feel better. Bobby was surprised by her gesture and he squeezed her hand in return. Owen immediately noticed that she did that. He wondered if it was because of Emily.

"Well, let's go get our tickets and some popcorn and soda," Owen said. The guys each took out their cash and handed it to Owen, who got the tickets. Then, they went in and got their snacks, before heading to the cinema.

First, Bobby got in to the seats and he pulled Cristina in after him. Owen followed, then Emily, then Spencer and then Madeleine. Bobby noticed at once that Owen was sitting on the other side of Cristina. He groaned, inwardly. Of course, Owen made sure he was sitting next to Cristina. This way, he could keep an eye on Bobby and his wandering hands.

As the movie started, Owen put his arm around Emily. She played along and rested her head against his shoulder. Cristina noticed it and she could not shake this strange feeling. It was a feeling she had never had before. She felt a little angry and she knew she wasn't supposed to feel that way. Her face felt flushed. She finally realized that she was jealous of this girl and the way Owen was touching her.

He looked across at her and she gave him a glare. Owen had to smile. He knew she was mad. He could tell from her knitted brows. "Feel what it's like, Cristina," he thought to himself.

Well, if he was going to act that way, Cristina decided, then she was going to do the same. She rested her head on Bobby's shoulder. Bobby was happy that Cristina was being so affectionate. He put his arm around her. He didn't have to do that stupid yawning trick, where he would stretch his arms in the air and then sneakily place his arm around her. Tonight, it seemed that she was more amenable to his touch.

All three couples spent most of the movie, snuggling against each other. That is, until the scary part of the movie, came up. Cristina jumped and grabbed Owen's hand. When he felt her small hand grab his own, he squeezed it. He knew she was scared. He was always her protector and she had instinctively turned to him to comfort her. "Take that, Bobby," he thought. When the scary part had passed, she removed her hand from his. She looked at him, apologetically. He assured her with his eyes that it was okay.

At the end of the movie, they all piled out of the cinema. Owen asked if anyone wanted to go for pizza. The two younger couples declined, saying that they had to wait for their parents to pick them up. Owen said he would wait with them, until their parents came. First, Spencer's dad came and whisked away his son and Madeleine. Then Dr. Chamberlain showed up. Bobby opened the back door for Cristina and waited for her to get in, before he did so himself. Dr. Chamberlain turned around the car and the last view he saw of Cristina, was her face, looking woefully at him, holding Emily's hand. He waved at her but she did not wave back at him.

"Do you think you were successful?" Emily asked. "Was she jealous? I worked really hard to pretend that I actually liked boys."

"Yeah, I think we did it," Owen said. "She seems mad at me. The only reason she could be mad is if she was jealous." He turned to his friend. "Thank you, Emily. It was $40 well spent."

"Yeah, let's go home," Emily said. "I have to call my girlfriend."

The two friends got into their car and headed home.

* * *

><p>It was on Monday morning that Owen got the full brunt of what Cristina was feeling. He found her at her locker.<p>

"Hey, Cristina, how are you this fine Monday morning?" he asked, leaning against the locker next to hers. She looked up at him and gave him a mean glare. Apparently, she had spent her Sunday, stewing over the previous night's events, and had not gotten over it. She had hated seeing Owen with that girl. She shouldn't feel this way but still, she couldn't help it. She was bitter and jealous.

"Whoa, what's the matter there, kid?" he said, feeling her penetrating glare burn right through him. He called her a kid, she fumed. That's what he thought she was. Just a little, stupid kid. She slammed her locker and stalked away.

He smiled, as she walked away. She was having all of the reactions he had expected her to feel. Well, he thought, there is always lunchtime to goad her a little more.

He found her and Madeleine at their usual table in the cafeteria. He sat down and placed his lunch on the table.

"Nobody said you could sit down," Cristina said. Madeleine looked at Cristina in surprise. Why was Cristina talking to Owen in this way? Why was she so mad at him?

"Why? As far as I can see, there are four empty seats here at this table," he said. "You don't own this table. I am just having my lunch in the cafeteria." He picked up his burger and started eating. There was no way that Cristina could physically remove him. As he ate, he watched her face, getting angrier and angrier. He was so amused by her.

* * *

><p>At rehearsals, Owen was a little late because he was trying to finish up his chemistry lab experiment. He arrived just in time to see Cristina and Darren on stage, doing the scene where they kiss.<p>

"Now remember, Darren, there shall be no tongue usage," Mr. Bostwick said. "This is a high school production, not Grey's Anatomy."

"Yes, sir," Darren said. "Got that, sir. No tongue."

Owen sat down near the front, so Cristina noticed when he came in.

"Okay, let's try this with the dialogue," Bostwick said. "From the top."

Darren and Cristina started the scene, going through all of the lines, until it was time for the kiss. Both of them giggled.

"No giggling," Bostwick said. "Take this seriously, you two."

Owen waited with bated breath. So did Bobby. Neither of them was looking forward to this. To see the girl you wanted, kiss another guy was not something either of them wanted to see.

Cristina felt it was odd that the two boys she had kissed, were both in the audience, watching her smooch another boy. That made her feel nervous. She closed her eyes and waited for Darren's lips on her own. Darren, surprisingly, was a good kisser. She parted her lips slightly. Owen noticed that, immediately. "What the hell?" he thought. "Cristina is opening her mouth for Darren. NO, NO. NO!" He was definitely no longer amused by her.

Owen glared at Darren. He better not take advantage of this and stick his tongue in her mouth, Owen thought. Bobby was also having similar thoughts and freaking out.

When Cristina and Darren stopped kissing, she opened her eyes and looked out at the audience. She did not miss the horrified faces of Owen and Bobby staring at her. She felt somehow, strangely satisfied seeing them look like that, especially Owen.

"Okay, that was good," Bostwick said. "That will be the way you will do it for the show."

At the end of the rehearsal, Owen waited for Cristina. "Are you ready to go home?" he asked. She nodded and followed him out of the auditorium.

It was a quiet ride to her house. As she got out of the car, she asked, "Do you want to come in?"

He mulled it over in his mind. He was still mad at the way she kissed Darren. He wanted to say yes but in the end, he said no. He said he had some stuff to do for his mom, even though it wasn't true.

She watched him drive off. He was sad, so was she.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thanks for your thoughts.**


	13. Chapter 13 Clearing the air

Owen didn't see Cristina much for the rest of the week, other than at the Wednesday rehearsal. By that time, she was barely speaking to him. She acknowledged his presence with a nod and that was it.

Owen finally got a chance to rehearse his lines on the stage and then, he spent the rest of the time, watching Cristina and Darren interact on the stage. He paid special attention to everything that Darren did so he would know what to do, in case he had to fill in. He knew it was a long shot that he would get to play Romeo on performance night but he needed to be prepared, in case it became necessary. He didn't want to make a fool of himself, especially with the whole school, the faculty and everyone's parents watching.

Darren and Cristina did not rehearse the kiss, much to Owen's relief. He could not bear seeing her kiss Darren. Worse yet, it seemed like she had enjoyed it. Why else did she open her mouth for Darren at the last rehearsal? He was glad that Mr. Bostwick was only interested in knowing that they knew how to kiss, rather than put his very young stars through lots of kissing rehearsals.

He had football practice on Thursday evening and then he had that away game on Friday. He did look for her in the cafeteria at lunchtime on both days but she was not there. He wondered where she was. He ate with John, Pete and the other guys in the football team. The guys were not hanging out with Shelly and Tricia because as girls, they had chosen to show solidarity with Tammy and her wounded ego.

Cristina was scarce because she and Madeleine were busy working on a history project that was due on Friday. They should have started working on it earlier but now they were in a serious jam and they had to finish it. They were spending all of their free time in the library, researching and writing their project.

Owen thought he saw Cristina when he saw a flash of ebony curls turning the corner. He chased down the head of curls but when he turned the corner, she was no longer in sight. Little did he know it was because she had disappeared into the library. That was the only glimpse he had seen of her, during the last two days of the week.

It was Friday and he knew he had to focus on the game tonight. When the team had an away game, they usually took off a little early on the bus. The football players plus the cheerleaders, which included Tammy, all traveled on the same bus, whenever there was an away game. He didn't relish the thought of spending 45 minutes on the bus with Tammy and her friends but it could not be helped.

He could feel her eyes boring into him but he chose to ignore it. He had tried to be a good friend to her and not take advantage of her. He knew she was treating him like persona non grata because she saw it as rejection, not as friendship. Clearly, rejection had hurt like a bitch.

Not that he minded that she wasn't talking to him; he found it almost a relief to be away from Tammy and all of her issues. He stared out of the bus window. He sorely wished Cristina could have come to the game. He had been exhilarated to see her in the stands, watching him play the week before.

He thought about Cristina and envisioned her face in front of him. It had not been a good week for them because they barely spoke. After Wednesday's rehearsal, her dad had come for her and Owen did not have the opportunity to drive her home. He wondered if she had asked her dad to pick her up, so that she wouldn't have to get a ride with him. He missed having that alone time with her.

He was still thinking of her when the bus pulled up in front of the other school. He and the rest of the team grabbed their gear and headed to the visitors' locker room to get ready for the game.

It turned out to be a really tough game against the Kenniston Bulldogs, who were as tenacious as their name suggested. In the end, Owen's team lost by three points. Owen fumbled and lost the ball, which was scooped up by the other team, which led to the loss. Coach Flanders was extremely angry, jumping and shouting from the sidelines.

"Where is your head at, Hunt?" Flanders screamed. "We could have won that game, if not for that fumble. Now we have to win against Lawrence next week, if we are going to keep on the road to the championships. Hunt, you better get your act, together soon."

"Yes, coach," Owen said, absentmindedly. He had listened to the coach ranting and raving and didn't bother to defend himself. He knew he had been pre-occupied with thinking about Cristina during the game and more than likely, it had affected his play. He knew he had to stop thinking about her during the game. The only way he could do that was to make things okay between the two of them, instead of the strained silence between them.

As he sat on the bus for the trip back to their school, the mood was somber. There were no celebrations as they usually did, when they won a game. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

He knew he had probably started the rift between them with the appearance of Emily on their group date. He didn't know why Cristina had been so upset about it. He had wanted her to be jealous but not to the point that she was barely speaking to him. Then she got him mad with that kiss she gave Darren. It was like if she was paying him back for Emily. He didn't know why she was so upset about Emily.

After all, she did know that he was going to bring a date and she was there with Bobby. What was it about Emily that had upset her that much? She hadn't been as upset when she thought he had dated Tammy.

He was formulating what he was going to do, when he felt someone sit beside him. It was Tammy. He groaned inwardly. He didn't know if she was going to create a scene.

"Hello, Owen," she said.

"Hello, Tammy," he answered, ready for the worst.

"That was a really rough game," she said, trying to sound empathetic to how he was feeling.

"Yup," he said. "You win some and you lose some. You just have to win more than you lose. Is there anything I can help you with?" There must be some point to her, coming to sit next to him.

"So, how are things with your special project?" she said, with a false smile plastered across her face.

"She is not my special project. She has a name. It is Cristina," Owen said. "I haven't seen much of her this week."

"Oh," Tammy said, with a real smile, this time. She figured it was because of the little conversation she had with the petite Miss Curly Hair. Owen could read Tammy like a book. He knew Tammy probably thought it had to do with what the discussion she had with Cristina.

"Tammy, I know what you told her that she shouldn't date jocks because they are the worst and when you date a jock, people are always trying to steal your boyfriend," Owen said.

"Whatever do you mean?" Tammy said, in an innocent tone.

"Oh, come on, Tammy. I know that jock remark was a direct hit at me. And the second part about stealing a boyfriend, you should know that I was never your boyfriend so there was nothing to steal," Owen said. "Why would you talk to her like that? She has never done anything to you. All I did was turn you down, when you offered me sex. I am sorry that you feel that I rejected you but Cristina has nothing to do with that."

Tammy's eyes betrayed her hurt, even though she said nothing.

"Tammy, you are a good-looking girl. You already know that. Don't waste your time on me. I am not for you," he said. "And don't ever mess with Cristina, again. Please, I will not look too kindly towards that. I know things about you, Tammy, and a lot of it is not good." He looked at her, straight in the eyes to show her that he meant business.

"Is that a threat?" she asked, indignantly.

"No more a threat than what you told Cristina," he said. She got up in a huff and returned to her seat with the rest of the cheerleaders. Now that he had taken care of Tammy, he needed to get back in the good graces of the girl he loved.

* * *

><p>The next morning, as he lay in his bed, he picked up his phone and called Cristina. Her sleepy voice answered. "Madeleine, it is 6.30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, this better be good. I am still rolling around in my pajamas."<p>

Owen chuckled. "No, it is not Madeleine," he said.

"Oh, sorry, Owen," she said. "Only Madeleine ever calls me at odd hours."

"How ya doing? I haven't seen you much this week," he said.

"Yeah, well, I have been busy. Madeleine and I had to do a history project. We spent the last two days, living in the school library. We managed to finish in time, I am proud to say," Cristina said. "So what's up?"

"I was wondering whether you want to have lunch with me. I want to talk to you," he said. "It seems that there is something not quite right between the two of us and I want to talk to you about it."

There was a pause on the other end. He knew she was thinking.

"Cristina?" he said.

"Okay," she said. "Pick me up at 11.30. I will tell my mom."

"Alright," he said. "I will see you then."

He was there at 11.25 a.m. He had football practice that morning and had taken a shower and changed his clothes before coming to meet her. He was so anxious to see her. He rang the doorbell. She answered.

"You're a little early," she said, as she closed the door behind her and followed him to his car. He opened the door for her and closed it as she got in. He went on the other side and looked at her, smiling.

"Why are you smiling like that?" she asked. "You look like a Cheshire cat."

"I am just happy to see you," he said, still smiling broadly.

"Okay, so where are you taking me? We are going downtown," he said. "There is really a nice little restaurant, near the waterfront."

"Am I underdressed?" she asked, looking at her jeans.

"No, don't worry. It is a casual place," he said. "Look at me. I am in jeans, too."

When they got to the restaurant, they were shown a nice, quiet corner booth nearer the back of the restaurant. Owen was pleased because they could talk without the conversations of other diners bothering them. He ordered their food and drinks, and waited until the server had brought their drinks before he decided to start the conversation. He watched as she sipped on her strawberry-banana-pineapple smoothie.

"Cristina, I wanted to talk about what has been happening to us over the past few days," he said. "Something seems to be wrong."

She knew what he was talking about but she found it hard to explain. She looked at him, as she said, "I am confused."

"Confused about what? About me asking this question?" he asked.

"No," she said. "I am confused about you." She admitted it. She didn't know why she felt this way around him. After all, he had always been like a big brother to her and now, she was having these weird feelings like jealousy. The last time she was jealous of anybody was when she was seven and her neighbor, Lauren got that fancy new bicycle she had wanted. But this was different; it was an odder feeling than coveting someone's bike.

"What do you mean? Was it about Emily?" he asked. He could see the change in Cristina's face, when he mentioned Emily's name. It was about Emily!

"Were you jealous?" he asked, grinning.

Why the heck was he grinning, she thought. This was not a laughing matter. She wanted to smack him. He could see that she was mad.

"Yes, you were jealous," he said, laughing.

"Take me home," she declared, loudly. "If you are going to laugh at me, take me home, right now."

"I am sorry," he said. "I am not laughing at you. I am laughing at the situation. I have something to confess."

"What?" she said, still displeased.

"Emily is just a friend of mine. She was just doing me a favor by going out on that group date with me," he said.

"What? So what was all that hand-holding and cuddling all about?" she demanded.

"Hey, hey, as far as I could see, you were doing the same thing with Bobby Chamberlain," he said.

She stayed quiet because she knew it was true.

"Cristina," he said, reaching across the table to gently stroke her face. "What was it about Emily that made you so mad?"

Her eyes started to fill up with tears, as she thought about how inadequate Emily made her feel. Emily was tall, blonde and beautiful with big boobs while Cristina was small, brunette and still developing.

"Hey," he said. "What's the matter?" He got up and went to the other side of the booth to sit next to her.

"She made me feel like I was an ugly duckling," Cristina said, softly.

"An ugly duckling? No way," he said, hugging her close to him. "You are beautiful."

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better," she said, as the tears rolled down her face.

"Never," he said. "You're the most beautiful girl in the world for me." She sniffled against his chest. The server came by and saw the tall, blonde boy, hugging the tiny, brunette girl, who appeared to be crying. "Is she okay?" he asked, concerned. Cristina nodded, her face still against Owen's chest.

"Just put down the food," Owen said. "She'll be okay." The server placed the food on the table and left quickly.

Owen rocked Cristina, until she stopped crying. "Okay, are you better, now?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"You want to eat?" he asked. She nodded. They ate their food in silence. Owen stayed on Cristina's side of the booth, as they ate.

The server came by and asked if they wanted dessert. Owen ordered tiramisu while Cristina asked for strawberry cheesecake.

As they waited for their desserts, he looked at her and asked, gently, "So why were you jealous?"

She looked up at him, her chocolate brown eyes meeting his blue eyes. "I don't know. I think I might feel something for you."

Those felt like the sweetest words ever to come out of her mouth. "Oh, Cristina," he said, as he gently held her face between his hands and kissed her, full on the mouth. As he crushed her lips under his, he parted them with his tongue, which she accepted. They sat there, kissing for what seemed like a long time. She was feeling a tingling sensation that had taken over her body. She had never felt like that before in her whole life.

"Ahem," the server said, putting down their desserts. His voice broke their kiss. Owen and Cristina reluctantly released each other.

They both ate their desserts with smiles on their faces.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews and comments. I really do appreciate them. Reviews are love.**


	14. Chapter 14 Who is kissing whom?

He took her home after lunch. They were both feeling really good about things. He reached over and kissed her again. He loved the taste of her. "I don't want to let you go," he said.

"I have to. Mom and I are going shopping this evening," Cristina said. Owen watched as she walked up her walkway.

"Can I call you tonight? Around seven," he asked.

"No. I have a date," she mumbled. Owen wasn't sure what she said. Did she say something about a date?

"Cristina," he called out to her. She turned around. "Did you just say that you had a date?"

She nodded, a little shamefaced. He got out of the car and walked up to her.

"Um, didn't any of this mean anything to you?" he was flabbergasted. "You kissed me twice. You said you feel something for me. I definitely know I feel something for you."

"Well, it is a date I had from before. I am going out with Bobby," she said.

"Well, I don't want you dating other guys," Owen said. "This cannot happen. I want to have a relationship with you and I can't have a relationship with a girl, who is still dating other boys."

"I think I owe it to Bobby to tell him that I can't see him anymore," Cristina explained. "He has been a good friend to me for years since grade school. I can't just shunt him aside without any explanation. I need to tell him to his face."

"Okay," Owen said. "I can understand that. But remember this is your last date with another boy." She agreed.

"Do you want to come over to my house, tomorrow?" he asked. "Maybe come for lunch and we can run lines together."

"Okay," Cristina said. "I will do my homework tomorrow morning and then you can pick me up around 11.45."

"Deal," he said. He bent down and gave her a small kiss on her nose before he left. He watched to make sure she got in her house before he left.

* * *

><p>"Hi, Mom," Cristina said, as she went to the kitchen for a drink of water.<p>

"Hey, Cristina," Helen said. "Did Owen just leave?"

"Yes," Cristina said. "Can I go over to his house tomorrow for lunch? We are going to run lines after lunch."

"Yes, that sounds fine," Helen said. "Let's go get you a nice outfit for your date tonight."

"Okay, mom," Cristina said. They headed off to their mall. Helen, it seemed, was a in a particularly good mood and Cristina did not just get one outfit but a couple of outfits from Abercrombie & Fitch, Urban Outfitters and The Limited. All in all, she scored a couple of cute outfits. She found it a little ironic that they were shopping for clothes for a date with a guy she wasn't going to see again. Bobby was going to take her to dinner, tonight.

Later that night, she put on a pretty blue top and a black mini skirt with tights and a pair of heels. Her mom did her make-up and her hair.

"You're going to dinner. That is kinda grown up," Helen said. "Do you really like this boy, Bobby?"

Cristina contemplated the question. She did like Bobby – he was a good friend. She wasn't sure she felt for him what she was supposed to feel for him if he was a boyfriend. He didn't give her the butterflies that Owen did when he kissed her. So far, she had kissed three boys in her life but only Owen did that to her.

"I like him well enough, Mom," she answered. She wasn't lying. As her mom finished her makeup, she said, "My, Cristina, how pretty you look."

Cristina looked at herself in the mirror. She agreed that she did look pretty. Just then, they heard the sound of the doorbell and her dad's voice, welcoming someone in.

"That must be Bobby," Cristina said. She and her mom went downstairs. Bobby was in a suit and was carrying a small bouquet of flowers. His mouth dropped open as he saw her. "You look so pretty, Cristina," Bobby said.

"Thank you," she said, taking the flowers he offered. She handed the flowers to her mom. "Could you put this in a vase for me, mom?" Her mom smiled as she took the flowers from her daughter. Her baby girl was growing up and boys were bringing her flowers.

Bobby took her hand as they bade her parents goodbye. Bobby's dad was waiting in his car.

"Hello, Cristina," he said, as he watched them get into the back seat. "You look very nice."

"Hello, Dr. Chamberlain," she said. "Thank you." She started to feel very bad about what she was about to do. Bobby and his family were such nice, friendly people who had always been good and kind to her.

Dr. Chamberlain dropped them off at the restaurant and handed his son some cash. "I gave you enough to cover it but don't spend all of it," his father warned. "Call me, when you are ready to go home."

Bobby nodded. It was a nice restaurant, not a fancy one but good enough. They both stared at the menu. Bobby noted the prices; he breathed a sigh of relief that his dad had given him enough money to cover whatever they wanted to eat. It would be the worst thing to have to wash dishes when you are out on a date with a girl, he thought. He looked at her sitting across from him. She was so pretty, he thought. He wished he didn't have to tell her what he was going to say, tonight.

The waiter, who came around to take their orders, was a little surprised at how young they were.

"And how are we tonight?" he asked, as he filled their glasses up with water.

"Fine," Bobby said. "Can we order now?" The waiter nodded, as Bobby ordered for the both of them.

As they waited, they chatted. They were both wary because they each had something to say that was not going to be pleasant but neither knew that the other had a bombshell to drop. Bobby felt they could have a nice dinner before he told her. Cristina felt they could have a nice dinner before she told him.

The waiter brought their food, both grateful for the interruption. They ate mainly in silence and then they had dessert. Bobby watched Cristina finish the last of her dessert. As she put down her spoon, he took her hand into his.

"I have something to tell you, Cristina," Bobby said.

"I have something to tell you, too," she said.

"Let me go first," he said. "This is not good news. There is no good way to say it, so I will just say it. My mom has been offered a job at the international school in Dubai. She is going to run the place."

"That is awesome news for your mom," Cristina said.

"But that's not all," Bobby said, looking into Cristina's eyes. "My mom, my sisters and I will be moving to Dubai, next week. They need her right away and she has to go next week. We're going with her, too."

"So you're moving to Dubai, to the other side of the world," Cristina said. "What about your dad?"

"He's staying to tie up our affairs here and then he will join us," he said. "He's going to get our house rented and then he is joining us in Dubai."

"Oh," Cristina said. She squeezed his hand. It must be so hard to leave your friends, your home and your school.

"I am really sorry to tell you this," he said. "I really thought we could be starting a real relationship. I like you, Cristina, I really like you. But you knew that from since grade school. I thought that once we got to high school, you could become my girlfriend."

"Well, we can still keep in touch. We have Skype, email, Twitter, Facebook. It's not like we are going to lose contact with each other," Cristina said. "We can still be friends."

"That's just it," he said. "I didn't just want to be your friend. And now we can't ever be."

Cristina realized that with Bobby moving to Dubai, there was now no need for her to tell him about not being able to see him again. His news certainly trumped hers. In a way, she was glad that she didn't have to hurt him.

"You said there was something you wanted to tell me," he asked.

"No worries," she said. "It is okay. It's not important, anymore." The waiter came by and dropped off the bill. Bobby counted out his cash plus a nice tip. He called his dad to come pick them up. They went outside of the restaurant to wait for their dad. They held hands as they waited.

His dad came by and they were soon at her house. Bobby walked her to her door. "So I guess this is goodbye, Cristina," he said.

"Yes, I guess so," she said, as she gave him a huge hug.

"Can you kiss me?" he asked, hopefully. Cristina calculated it all in her mind. If she kissed Bobby, would that constitute cheating on Owen? In fact, since she had been dating Bobby, did her kissing Owen meant that she had been cheating on Bobby? She was totally confused. In the end, she decided that she was going to kiss him. What harm could it do, she thought. She would tell Owen the truth that she kissed Bobby because he was going to go away.

So she closed her eyes and allowed Bobby to kiss her. She could tell the difference between when Owen kissed her and when Bobby did it. Bobby's kiss was pleasant but Owen's kisses made her feel all tingly. Little did she know that the difference between their kisses was all about physical chemistry.

"I will miss you so much, Cristina," Bobby said, whispering in her ear.

"I will miss you, too," she said. She wasn't lying. He was her friend and she would indeed miss him. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Cristina," Bobby said. She watched him get into his dad's car and as they drove off, he turned and waved at her.

* * *

><p>The next day, Owen turned up promptly to pick up Cristina for lunch at his parents' house. He gave her a huge smile as she opened the door for him. He took her hand into his, as they walked to his car.<p>

"So what happened on the date with Bobby?" he asked. "You did tell him that you weren't going to see him anymore, right?"

"I didn't have to," she said. "He's moving away."

"Really?" Owen smiled. "Where is he going? Is he moving in-state or to another state?"

"No, his family is leaving the country. His mom got a job running the international school in Dubai," Cristina said. "All the way on the other side of the world."

"Wow, that is really far," Owen said. He was pleased that his Bobby problem seemed to be solved, without having him do anything about it.

They soon got to Owen's house, where his parents made a big fuss over her. They hadn't seen her in three years. Owen's dad, George, remarked how pretty she had got. His mom, Lana, described her as the perfect petite little lady. Cristina hadn't realized how much she missed seeing Owen's parents. They were really great parents. Over lunch, they asked about her family and Garrett.

"We're really looking forward to seeing you and Owen in the play," George said. "Even Julia said she was going to come. She said she was going to give her little brother hell." He chortled, loudly at the thought.

"Dad, dad, dad," Owen said. No matter how old you got, he thought, parents had a way of embarrassing you.

"So how is it being Juliet? I suppose you have to kiss the boy playing Romeo," Lana said. Owen wished his mother had not brought that up. That was one thing he hated to discuss – the thought of Cristina kissing Darren drove him crazy.

"Yes," Cristina said. "The boy playing Romeo is Darren Longden. We have practiced it once."

"You may have to practice it more than once," George said. "You know, to get it right."

Owen looked at his father in disbelief that he could be suggesting such a thing to Cristina. He did not want any other boy kissing her. He was just tolerating this because of the play.

"I guess," she said. "We will probably have to do it in the dress rehearsal, too." Owen looked at her and shook his head. She, too, was adding to his discomfort.

After lunch, Owen took Cristina to his room, after telling his parents that they were going to run lines. As Cristina entered the room, she took a look around. "It's different from when I last saw it," she said.

"Well, I couldn't keep all those childish things, anymore. I mean I was 14 at the time," he said.

"I am 14. Are you saying that I am childish?" she asked.

"No, no," he said, trying to backtrack. "You're not childish. I am saying I was childish."

"Oh," she said. She pulled out her script from her bag. "Where do you want to start?"

"After this," he said, as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her the same way he had kissed her, the day before, skilfully using his lips and tongue. She realized that it really was different the way Owen kissed her. She just felt like she wanted to melt on the inside. As they pulled apart, she knew she had to tell him that she allowed Bobby to kiss her.

"Owen, I have something to tell you," she said, as she released herself from his arms.

"What?" he said.

"I let Bobby kiss me, last night," she admitted.

"What!" he exploded. "How could you do that?" He got up and started pacing.

"I thought it wouldn't do any harm. After all, he is moving to another country," she said.

"And that makes it alright? Don't you know that once we started kissing, you're not supposed to kiss another boy?" he said. He was so mad at her. "That's like cheating on me."

"Is it? Or is it that when I kissed you, when I was dating him, was that cheating on him?" Cristina asked. She knew Owen was peeved.

He stayed silent. Technically, what she was saying, was true. He sat down, again on the edge of his bed and calmed himself down.

"Okay, alright, I am going to let this pass. But Cristina, we are together now, so no more kissing other boys. Please," he said.

"Okay," she said. He pulled her back into his arms and they started making out again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments and reviews. Thank you. I really appreciated reading them. It lets me know if you are enjoying the story.**


	15. Chapter 15 It's a secret

The evening was spent kissing and running lines then some more kissing. Owen dropped off Cristina at her house around 5 p.m.

Before she left his car, he told her that he needed to have a serious conversation with her. "Cristina," he started. "I was thinking it might be a better idea if we don't let anyone in school know about our relationship."

"Why?" she asked. "Are you ashamed of me?"

"Of course not, I will never be ashamed of you. The problem is that not everyone is going to approve of this relationship. I am a senior, you are a freshman. I am 17 and you are 14. Some people will think I am too old for you or you are too young for me. Worse yet, I am who I am – high school quarterback. Being my girlfriend would put you under extreme scrutiny from other girls, who will say mean and cruel things. High school is a very hard place," he said. "I don't want people talking about you or saying bad things to you. I won't be around all of the time to take care of it."

"Oh," she said. "What about Madeleine?"

"No, not even Madeleine. You never know if she is going to slip up, one of these days," he said. "Let's just keep this between us." He sighed. "I can't wait until you are 18 and I am 21. No one would say anything about it."

"Okay," Cristina agreed. She didn't too fancy the idea of their relationship being kept a secret but she knew it would probably be worse for her if people knew. She had already had a run-in with Tammy, warning her about stealing other people's boyfriends and how claws could come out. She knew that Tammy had a thing for Owen and to cross her, as one of the popular girls in school, would not be a good idea.

"Come here, baby," he said, as he reached over and kissed her, gently on the mouth. "I will see you, tomorrow in school." She nodded and got out of the car. He waited until she got in her house.

He didn't see her much for the next day, except for during rehearsal in the afternoon. He had arrived early and as soon as he saw her, his face broke out into a huge smile. She saw him, gave him the briefest of smiles before she sat in the row in front of him. He was surprised that she did not come and sit next to him. "Cristina," he called out, quietly to her. She looked back at him and mouthed, "What?"

Mr. Bostwick came in and addressed them all. "Good morning, kids. It seems that I have to make a casting change. Young Mr. Chamberlain has abandoned us and gone to live in Dubai. So, Damian Forbes will now be Mercutio and the understudy for Paris."

Everyone else was shocked, except for Cristina and Owen, who already knew of Bobby's move. "So, now folks, let's have a good rehearsal. Damian, I hope you are ready to take up this role."

"Yes, Mr. Bostwick," Damian said. Rehearsals went smoothly, as Damian proved to be a more than adequate replacement for Bobby.

After rehearsal, Owen waited for Cristina at the auditorium door. They walked in silence to his car and he made sure they had driven off the students' parking lot, before he spoke. "Why didn't you come sit next to me in rehearsals?"

"I thought we had decided that we weren't telling people we were in a relationship," Cristina said. "So I thought sitting away from you, would be a wise idea."

"I know we decided that but you can't treat me like if I am a leper," Owen said. "I mean even before we started kissing, you sat next to me and we had lunch together. We can't stop doing that or people will get suspicious. By the way, where were you at lunchtime? I looked for you and Madeleine in the cafeteria and there were some other people at the table, where you usually sit."

"Oh, we were in social studies class. We got married to some boys," Cristina said, chuckling.

"Wha—at?" Owen spluttered out. "What are you talking about? Married to some boys?"

"In social studies class, we're doing that exercise where we're teenaged parents, trying to look after a newborn baby. Probably to show us the dangers of teenage pregnancy and how hard it is to raise a baby when you still want to go to school and you have no money. We watched an episode of 16 and Pregnant. Having a baby looks so painful, imagine squeezing something with the head of a size of a melon out of your vagina. That is so gross," Cristina said.

Owen smiled. Maybe, some day, when she was having his baby, it wouldn't be so gross to her, he thought.

"Okay, who is your partner in this exercise?" he asked.

"Nico Martinelli. You know – dark hair, dark eyes, gothic type," Cristina said. "Wears black all of the time."

Owen knew Nico – he was a good-looking, goth freshman – as far removed from Owen in looks as you could possibly get. Owen was glad that Nico looked nothing like him.

"And the strangest part is that Nico and I have this blonde hair, blue eyed doll as our baby. Two of us have dark hair, dark eyes and I am Asian, too, and they gave us this Nordic looking doll. Sheesh!" she said.

Owen smiled again. "Well, given that description of the doll, then the baby is definitely mine," he said.

"Ha, ha," Cristina said. "Madeleine and Frankie Shelton are married. Frankie's black and they got a red-headed baby. Just too weird."

"So who has the baby doll tonight?" Owen asked.

"Nico has it; he is going to call me when he gets Jessamine to sleep," Cristina said. "The baby doll acts like a real baby – it cries, you have to feed it or change diapers. It's been set to do certain things at certain times. I think it has a chip in it. If you do the right action, it goes back to sleep."

"Jessamine – that's your doll's name?" he said. "Who came up with that?"

"Nico did," Cristina said. "Jessamine Martinelli."

"Okay, well here we are," Owen said. "Football game this Friday – home game. Can you ask your dad?"

"Yeah but more than likely, he would say yes because it is a home game," Cristina said. She opened her door and started to get out.

"Are you forgetting something?" he asked. She looked around the car, in the backseat and on the ground. She had her school bag in her hand.

"No, I don't think so," she said. "Okay, bye."

"No, no, me," he said. "You forgot to kiss me goodbye."

"Oh, alright," she said, as she leaned over and kissed him. He held on to her face and deepened the kiss. "I have not been able to kiss you, all day," he whispered. As they broke apart, he told her, "I will call you, tonight, around seven."

She nodded, as she left. He left her house, feeling really good.

Promptly at seven, he made his call. She answered, a little breathless. "Owen, I can't talk to you, right now. Nico and I have a crisis with Jessamine. I am talking to him on the other line. He can't get her to sleep. She keeps crying. He fed her; he changed her diaper. I think he needs to hold her. Okay, bye." She hung up.

He stared at his phone in his hand. Did that really happen? She hung up on him to deal with her imaginary kid with her imaginary husband. He immediately hated her imaginary baby. He went to bed, feeling dissatisfied.

* * *

><p>The next day, he again looked for her at lunchtime. He had football practice in the afternoon. So, the only time he had to see her was at lunch. There she was at her table with Nico, Madeleine and Frankie. They had their babies with them, as they ate. He sighed. This was obviously not a good time to go sit with her. He looked around the cafeteria. There were at least eight other freshman couples with their babies. He hoped this project would be over, soon. Some of the babies were crying and their imaginary parents looked frustrated.<p>

Later that night, after football practice is over, he called her. "Hey, didn't see you much all day," he said.

"Yeah," she said. "This baby is taking a lot out of me. Plus it is my night with the baby. She's crying, again. I have to go, Owen."

"Um, wait…" his voice trailed off, as he heard her go. This project needed to be over, like now, he thought. It was really eating into his couple time with Cristina.

Wednesday afternoon found them at rehearsal again. The play was progressing very nicely, Mr. Bostwick thought. At least everyone was not slacking off and they knew their lines. Owen watched Cristina and Darren rehearse. They were rehearsing the scene that led to their big kissing moment. Owen thought they were just going through the scene, when he saw Darren lean over and kiss Cristina at the end of the scene. Owen was aghast. He knew that there was a kiss at the end of the scene but he didn't know that they were going to do the whole scene. The next time he had expected Darren to kiss Cristina was at the dress rehearsal and that was some time away. He looked around – the only person who seemed to be bothered by it was him.

"Okay, Darren, Cristina. Take it from the top, again," Bostwick said. "I am not sure you are getting the right feeling for this. You two are desperately in love but you know your love may be torn apart. So I need to see the desperation in that kiss. Make it a good one."

Good Lord, no, Owen thought. Not again, not in front of me, he shuddered at the thought of Cristina and Darren, giving each other a desperate kiss. That is the last thing he wanted to see. When they did kiss, he wanted to cover his eyes, like if he was watching a horror movie.

They drove home in silence. This was not turning out to be a good week for him. As they stopped in front of their house, he asked, "Did you enjoy kissing Darren?"

"Um, it was alright. It didn't have anything behind it. I don't feel anything for him," Cristina said.

"Oh, I thought it looked like you were enjoying it," he said. Even though she was only 14, she was not naïve and could tell Owen was jealous and upset about it.

"It's not like how I feel when I kiss you," she said, hoping to make him feel better.

He turned to her. "Well, how do you feel about when you kiss me?"

"You make me feel all warm and gooey on the inside and I feel a tingling going through my entire body. That is how I feel," she said. She took his face into her small hands and kissed him, deeply. They continued kissing until she finally said, "My whole body is a-tingling right now."

"You make me feel so happy," he said. "That's how you I feel when I kiss you. I feel like everything is alright in the world. When I hold you, it's like the best feeling in the world."

"Yeah, me too," she said. "Don't feel bad about me kissing Darren. It is only for show and I think he is gay, too."

"What?" Owen said. "Why do you say that?"

"I just think so. I don't know why. Maybe that's why we can't get the desperation kiss right," Cristina said.

"Maybe he is just shy," Owen said.

"Nope. I don't think so. A girl just knows," Cristina said. "My gaydar is working."

"Oh, really," Owen said. "Somehow, knowing this, I feel a lot better."

"I thought it would," she said. "Anyway, gotta go in, now. I am awaiting a call from Nico. He has the doll today. We are both exhausted with this baby and it is only the third day," Cristina said.

"I think that is the whole point of the exercise," Owen said. "To prove that teenage pregnancy is not a good thing."

"Yeah," Cristina said. "I hope I never get in trouble. Bye."

"Bye, babe," Owen said and he drove away.

The discussion about teenage pregnancy had him thinking. He knew that he would one day want to have sex with Cristina. She was too young, now. He could feel the stirring in his loins whenever he kissed her but he fought the feelings of going too far. He knew he was going to have to wait, until she was ready. She was worth the wait, he thought.

* * *

><p>On Friday night, it was game night. He looked around for Cristina and Madeleine. This time, he made sure that they had good seats, so he could see her during the game. It turned out to be a great game for them. They won, so the coach was happy to see that his star quarterback was no longer distracted. Owen took Madeleine and Cristina home. He dropped Madeleine at her house.<p>

"Where do you want to go now?" he asked. "Or do you have babysitting duties with your fake baby?"

"Thankfully, Nico has the baby," Cristina said. "He's dropping her off at my house, tomorrow. So we can go out."

"Come on, let's go grab something to eat," Owen said. They picked up some burritos and then drove to the lakeside. When they finished eating, Owen looked at her. "Do you want to go in the backseat to make out a bit?"

They climbed in the back seat and started making out. They started making out, hot and heavy. Unfortunately, he could feel his member hardening. He pulled away from her. "I have to stop," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because of this," he said, taking her hand and touching him there.

"Oh," she said. "I can do that to you?"

"You do lots of things to me," he said. "But this is not going to happen, now. Let me take you home."

He drove her home and as they stopped, he said, "You remember when I was 14 and you were 11 and I kissed you and it led to the big fight with Garrett."

"Yes," she said.

"Do you remember that I told you that I loved you? I still do," he said. "I love you. I don't ever want to hurt you."

She thought for 30 seconds before she answered. "I think I love you, too. I mean I have always loved you, first, like a big brother, like my bestest friend. But I think I love you, differently, now."

He smiled at her, got out of the car and walked her to the door. Given their height difference, she stood on the step, so they could kiss. They were still kissing when the whole place became bright.

Someone had turned on the light in the patio.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thank you for your reviews.**


	16. Chapter 16 Championship game

Owen and Cristina broke away from each other, when the patio suddenly became illuminated. The door opened. It was Garrett.

"Seriously?" he said. "You two shouldn't be kissing on the front patio, if you don't want Mom and Dad to find out about this."

"Are you going to tell them?" Cristina asked, anxiously. The memory of the last time that Garrett had caught them kissing and its consequences, were still etched into Cristina's brain.

"No, of course not," Garrett said. "You're older now and it clearly doesn't make sense to keep the two of you away from each other."

"Thanks, Garrett," Owen said, sheepishly. It was really gratifying to Owen that Garrett had changed from being totally against the relationship to one where he was not fighting it, anymore.

"It's okay," Garrett said. "I know when it is a losing battle to keep the two of you apart. By the way, Dad knows the game finished two hours ago and he has been wondering where you've been. I covered for you and told him that the school sometimes holds a little celebratory rally after the game, if we win."

"Thanks, Garrett," Cristina said. She really couldn't have her father be mad at her. She adored her dad since she was a little girl and she usually did her best not to get him angry.

"You better get inside, Cristina. And by the way, some kid named Nico called. He said he was having trouble with Jessamine and if you could call him, as soon as you got home," Garrett said.

Cristina stepped into the house. Owen called after her, "I will call you, tomorrow." She grinned at him. It was finally good to have Garrett on their side and not against them. He grinned back at her. They were both happy.

* * *

><p>The weeks and days that followed were some of the happiest in their lives. No one, except Garrett, knew about their relationship, so it was still a hush-hush affair for anyone else. They would sometimes smile knowingly at each other across the cafeteria, when he was with his friends and she was with her friends. The lives were filled with play rehearsals, classes, secret dates, football games and lots of kissing.<p>

Football season was ending the last week of October. It was a really hectic time for Owen. They had made it to the championship game and Coach Flanders was making the team work out really hard in practice. Owen didn't have much time to see Cristina during championship week, with the extra practice, the pep rally and the bonfire night.

As the star quarterback, there was a lot of pressure on Owen. Everyone kept wishing him good luck all week. He had been excused from play rehearsals that week by Mr. Bostwick, who understood the importance of the game for the entire school community. However, Owen not being at rehearsals, meant that he didn't see Cristina for any extended period. He only caught glimpses of her ebony curls in school. It was pretty hard for him. He hoped that she would make it to the championship game, which was going to be held on neutral grounds, which was out of town.

He called her the night before the game. She answered, sleepily. He could just imagine her, being curled up in her bed in her pajamas. The thought made him feel happy.

"Hey, Cristina, I haven't seen much of you, this week," he said. "I am sorry, I have been so busy."

"It's okay," she said. "I know that it is an important week for you with the game on Friday."

"I didn't see you at the pep rally or the bonfire night," he said.

"My dad didn't give me any permission to go to them. He said they were on school nights and I can't be out late on school nights," she told him. "But I am sure they were awesome. Madeleine told me that she went to the pep rally and it was fun."

"How were rehearsals this week?" he asked. "Who did my part?"

"Mr. Bostwick! It was so funny, trying to speak like if he was young and using words that no grown-up says," Cristina giggled.

"So you know the big game is at Walker Field?" he said.

"Yes, I know," she said. "I couldn't miss it in all of the posters at school. Walker Field, Championship Game. The Mustangs take on the Bulldogs."

"Well, it is out of town and I know your dad hasn't allowed you to attend any of the away games. Will he allow you to come to this game? It would mean so much to me if you are there," he said, hopefully.

She was silent. "Cristina, are you still there?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do want to come, Owen but my dad has not budged from his official ruling about away games. I probably won't be able to be there," she said. "I am very sorry."

He was sorely disappointed. The biggest game of the year – his last game as a senior and the person he cared most about in the world, was not going to be there. He sighed.

"Owen?" she said.

"Yeah," he said, quietly. "Do you really want me to be there?" she asked.

"More than anything," he said. "I want to look up at the stands and see that you are there. If things aren't going our way, just seeing you will make me feel okay and probably motivate me to do better."

She thought for a minute. "Okay, I am going to try to persuade him. There are no promises. I don't want to say that I am coming when I don't know if that is true. But I am going to try because I love you."

"I love you, too," he said. "Please try."

"Hey, I gotta go, now. Need to get some sleep," Cristina said. "Bye."

"Bye, Cristina," Owen said. He hung up the phone and lay back in his bed, thinking about tomorrow's game. He was nervous about it. It was his last hurrah as the quarterback for the school. He wanted to end his high school football career on a winning note. And he wanted his girl to be there to see it. He hugged his pillow, closed his eyes and had a dream about winning the big game.

* * *

><p>The next day at school, he didn't see Cristina at all. The school was abuzz with excitement and in full game mode. School spirit was at an all-time high. Everyone felt victory was within their reach, especially with Owen Hunt's reliable throwing arm. He had already won the school their first championship last year and they were poised to repeat this year.<p>

The team left school, a little early, to head to Walker Field for get ready for the game. His mom and dad were coming to the game to cheer him on. He wondered if Cristina was going to make it. He desperately wanted her there.

Later that night, just before the game, Coach Flanders gathered the team for a talk and a prayer. "This is it, boys. For the seniors in the team, this is the final game of your high school career. We're going to miss you, guys. Hunt, you have been the backbone of this team, since you were a sophomore, and your throwing arm is pure gold. Luther, you've been mowing down the other side like nobody's business. Shaw, you have the quickest feet in the league. We are going to miss you guys. Another generation is coming up and they are more than pumped to take your places out there. But tonight is your night, seniors! So what we are going to do?"

"WIN!" the boys said.

"That's right," Flanders said. "The Mustangs are going to win this one. The Bulldogs may have beaten us once this year but it is not going to happen again. So what are we going to do?"

"WIN!" the team's voices reverberated throughout the locker room.

"Bend your heads, boys. Let ask the man above for some guidance in this game. Let's bend our heads in prayer," Flanders said. "Jones, can you lead us?"

As the boys prayed in the locker room, Cristina was still at home, trying to persuade her dad to take her to the game.

"Dad, please, I am begging you, please let me go to the game," she pleaded. "Owen asked that I be there."

Stanley shook his head. "I have told you before, Cristina, that you could not go to any away games. We have discussed this at length."

"Please, dad, please," Cristina said, the tears started to roll down her face. Stanley looked at her crying. He knew that her tears could make him break but he was holding strong. Garrett watched the exchange between his father and his sister. He knew his little sister was hurting and he wanted to make things better for her.

He was not a great football fan but the words came out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "I will take her, dad. I will stay with her," Garrett said. Good grief, he thought, what did he just do? He now had to sit through a long football game with hundreds of screaming high school students. He was having second thoughts about it, until he saw the unbridled joy on Cristina's face. Yeah, he thought, it was worth it. He smiled at her. She ran up to him and hugged him, tightly.

"Thank you, Garrett, thank you," she whispered.

"It's okay, Cristina, I know he wants you to be there," Garrett whispered back, as he wiped the tears from his sister's face.

Stanley watched his two children. Garrett and Cristina have had major fights over the years as siblings usually do but to see them like this, made him feel that he and Helen had done a great job, raising the two of them.

"I haven't agreed as yet," Stanley said, making sure his face was still stern as he was addressing them. He couldn't make them think that he was a softie. His two children looked at him with imploring faces.

"Well, okay then," Stanley said. "Garrett, you better take care of your sister."

"Yeah, dad, I am going to do that," he said. "Come on, Cristina, let's go, that game is going to start in a couple of minutes and we still have to get there."

Cristina and Garrett ran out of the house and jumped in their dad's SUV. "Drive carefully, Garrett," Stanley shouted from the front door. His two kids waved at him.

Back at Walker Field, they had already announced the teams and the National Anthem was going to start. Owen kept looking around. He couldn't see her at all. "Gosh, Mr. Yang, couldn't you have just let her go for this one game?" he said, exasperatedly.

"What are you talking about, Hunt?" Shaw, the running back, who was standing next to him, said. Owen looked at him, "Just hoping that someone would have come."

"You've got hundreds of girls, screaming your name, Hunt. Why are you worried about one girl?" Shaw said.

"She's special," Owen said, as he raised his hand to his heart for the National Anthem. "And she is not here."

Twenty minutes of the game had already passed when Cristina and Garrett finally made it. They didn't really have great seats. All those were already taken. "Can you see him?" Cristina asked her brother. "Yeah, there he is," Garrett said, pointing out the Mustang quarterback.

"GO, OWEN!" she screamed.

Owen looked around. Did he hear her voice? There were lots of people screaming. He didn't see her at all. Was he imagining things?

It was an intense game. The score seesawed in favor of one side and then the next. When halftime came, the Mustangs were down seven points. They trudged into the locker room.

"So we are down, boys, but the Mustangs are not out," Flanders said.

"No, Coach," the boys yelled.

"What are we going to do?" Flanders screamed.

"WIN!" the Mustangs screamed back.

"Hunt, the onus is on you," Flanders said. "You have to make sure that you are totally focused for the final half." The pressure on Owen was intense. The whole team was depending on him. Damn, the whole school was depending on him, he thought. He needed to see Cristina's face.

"Yes, Coach, I know," Owen said. While everyone grabbed something to drink, Owen went to his locker and grabbed his phone. There were lots of pictures of Cristina on his phone. He had one message. It was from her. All it said was "I'm here. Win it for me." He started whooping so loudly that everyone looked at him, as if he had gone crazy.

"Just got some good news," he said, with a huge grin on his face.

"I hope that good news is going to help us win this game," Flanders said.

"I am sure it will," Owen said, confidently. And win, they did, the Mustangs overcame the score deficit and made two touchdowns in the second half. It was only at the trophy ceremony that Owen finally saw her and Garrett in the stands. They were clapping wildly for the team. He knew Garrett was not a football fan and it was clear that the only reason that Mr. Yang had allowed Cristina to come to the game was because her brother had brought her. He was grateful to his former friend. He waved at them and they both waved back.

"Wait," Owen mouthed. Garrett nodded. Owen wanted them to wait for him. After all of the hoopla was over, he sought them out in the parking lot. Cristina was jumping up and down. He picked her up and hugged her. Garrett slapped him on the back. "Congratulations, Owen!"

"Thanks, Garrett. And thanks for bringing her," Owen said.

"No problem. She was crying and my dad wasn't budging, so I volunteered to take her," Garrett said. "I can't bear to see her cry." Cristina smiled at her brother.

"Me, too," Owen said, as he put Cristina down.

"Are you going to come back with us?" Garrett asked. "Or are you heading back with the team on the bus?"

"Oh, definitely going back with you guys," Owen said. "Let's go downtown and get some….."

"Pizza!" Cristina screamed. Owen and Cristina piled into the back seat, while Garrett drove off.

"You sure you don't want to go to the celebratory party with the rest of the team?" Cristina asked. "We can still drop you off."

"No," Owen said. "I am with the people I want to be with." He kissed her lightly on the mouth.

"Okay, well, downtown here we come!" Garrett said. They all laughed. It was just like old times, the three of them together once again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. I do appreciate reading what you think.**


	17. Chapter 17 Romeo and Juliet

Owen looked at his watch. It was 3.05 p.m. He was running late for dress rehearsal, which started at 3 p.m. Tonight was the first performance of the Romeo and Juliet play. He tried to sneak in without being noticed but Bostwick saw him and glared him. Owen mouthed his apologies and went backstage to join the rest of the actors.

He was really excited – first time he was performing in front of an audience. His parents were coming tonight and his sister was coming to tomorrow's performance. The entire football team was also coming; some were coming at tonight's performance and others at tomorrow's performance. John and Peter were coming tonight, while Shelly and Tricia said they were coming tomorrow. Since Tammy still had her silent war with Owen, she was not coming to either performance. He was glad that his friends were still coming to see him, despite the rift between him and Tammy.

When Shelly and Tricia had told him that they were coming to see him, he was surprised. They had not been really in his corner, since he had turned down Tammy.

"Really?" he had said.

"Yeah," Shelly said. "We promised to come see you and we are keeping that promise."

"Thanks," Owen said. "I didn't really expect that."

"No matter what happened between you and Tammy," Tricia said. "This might be our only chance to see you perform. It is our senior year. Plus we can heckle you, too, if you are bad."

Owen laughed. It was great that his friends supported him.

From backstage, he watched Cristina and Darren. They were only 14 and 15, respectively and they were carrying this show. He was so proud of her. She was doing an awesome job as Juliet. He had gotten over the fact that Darren was kissing Cristina. No, that was not really true. He was only tolerating it for the show. Even if Darren was gay, it was still another guy kissing his girl.

It turned out be a great dress rehearsal. Owen nailed his song and his lines. It was going to be a blast, tonight. When the dress rehearsal was over, Mr. Bostwick gathered everyone up. "That was a terrific dress rehearsal. I want you all to do just like that in tonight's performance or maybe, even better. I expect everyone to be back here by 6 p.m., so we can get make-up done. You all have your wardrobe for the show, so come dressed for your part. Showtime is at 7.30 p.m. Let's break a leg, people."

The kids all dispersed to go home, take a shower, grab something to eat and then head back to the school auditorium for the show. Owen, as usual, was taking Cristina home.

"So who's coming tonight?" he asked.

"Mom, Dad and Garrett are coming on both nights," Cristina said. "Garrett only wanted to come on one night but I told him that I had sit through years of his boring chess, debate and science competitions, he had no choice but to come and see me on both performance nights. He grumbled and grumbled but he agreed."

Owen chuckled at the thought of Garrett being forced to come to two performances. Since the championship game, things were a lot better between Garrett and Owen. They weren't really the best friends that they once were, when they were children but they had decent conversations and they hung out with each other, whenever they were both with Cristina. The one thing they had in common was the love that they had for Cristina.

As he dropped her off at her house, he said to her, "I will see you in a bit."

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, they were back at the school. There was excitement in the air, as the make-up artists went to work. The guys just had powder on, so they wouldn't shine under the lights, but the girls got full make-up done. After she was done with the make-up, he looked at her and realized how grown-up she looked. She usually was fresh-faced and there were the few times that she went out, her mom would put a light make-up on her. He had never seen her with full make-up on. She looked very pretty but older.<p>

"Five minutes, guys," Mr. Bostwick said. "Everyone ready."

"Yes, Mr. Bostwick," everyone answered. Five minutes later, the curtains went up and the narrator started. It turned out to be an excellent production. Then, the time came for the kiss between Romeo and Juliet (aka Darren and Cristina). As Bostwick looked on from his vantage point in the lighting booth, he could see that the boy was nervous. It was supposed to be a desperate kiss of longing. It turned out to be more of a kiss with lots of hesitation. Bostwick shook his head and sighed. Other than the kiss, the boy was excellent, his voice was beyond compare. He wondered if he should have actually placed Owen Hunt in the Romeo role. At least, as an older boy, he did have presence and lots of swagger and confidence. It was too late now to second=guess his casting choices. Hunt, it turned out, as handsome Paris, turned out to be the most compelling male actor on the show.

Still, it turned out to be a triumphant performance for Jefferson High School Drama Club. They got standing ovations. After the show, Lana and George Hunt caught up with their son.

"I never thought the day would come that my son would be a in a dramatic production," George said. "You were always more interested in sports."

"Well, our son is multi-talented," Lana said. "Julia is going to flip when she sees you in tomorrow's performance. And Cristina, she was so perfect and pretty as Juliet."

"Yup, she was," Owen said, proudly. He looked across to Cristina, who received a bouquet of pink and white roses from her parents. Her mother was hugging her, while Garrett and her dad were grinning like idiots.

"Oh, there they are," George said. "Why don't we go and offer our congratulations? We have not seen Helen and Stanley in ages." To be honest, George and Lana missed the friendship of the Yangs. Their relationship had been spawned from the friendship of their sons but when that was broken, it was difficult to sustain it.

"Yes," Owen said. They walked across to the Yangs.

Lana spoke first. "We just wanted to offer our congratulations to the leading lady. She was fabulous."

"Thank you," Cristina said, beaming. She was really proud of herself. The two pairs of parents smiled at each other.

"It has been so long since we have seen you guys," Helen said. She and Lana shared kisses on the cheeks, while George and Stanley heartily shook hands.

Stanley said, "Well, Owen here was outstanding as Paris. I think he even was better than the boy who played Romeo."

"Thank you, Mr. Yang," Owen said, grinning. "You are too kind."

"But it is true," Helen said. Garrett nodded, "You were great, buddy." The parents were shocked that Garrett actually called Owen "buddy." They were all rather pleased because it seemed that the rift between the boys was over.

"Why don't we go out and celebrate? Grab some dinner, somewhere," Stanley suggested. "The two families out together, just like old times."

"Yeah, I think we would like that," George said. As the parents walked away and chatted together, Owen, Cristina and Garrett followed them. The two families settled on going to a favorite family-style restaurant. It was a great night – everyone ate well and the older generation got re-acquainted again with each other, while their kids watched them with interest.

"They seem so happy," Cristina said.

"I guess they missed each other," Garrett said.

"You know, Garrett," Owen said. "I am glad we are friends, once again. I really missed you, buddy."

"Yeah, though I probably wouldn't have admitted it, when I was younger. I really missed you, too," Garrett answered. The two friends slapped each other on the back.

"Awwww," Cristina said. "Isn't that too sweet?"

"Oh, shut up, shrimp," Garrett told his little sister. Cristina laughed at the two of them.

* * *

><p>The next day, Owen woke up from a really restful night. It had been a truly wonderful night – first with how well the play went and then, getting together with the Yangs to celebrate. He glanced at the digital clock next to his bed. It was already 9.27 a.m. A little bit later than he usually got up but it was all good. He brushed his teeth, got dressed and headed down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. He made himself a cheese sandwich and a cup of tea. As he was about to bite down on his sandwich, his mom came in to the kitchen.<p>

"Owen, your drama teacher called. Bostwick, I think he said his name was. He said to call him urgently," Lana said. She shoved a piece of paper with Mr. Bostwick's phone number on it.

"Okay," Owen said. Why would Bostwick need to call him so early? The play wasn't until 7.30 that night, and they didn't have to get there till six, anyway. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed his teacher's number.

"Hello, Bostwick here," Bostwick answered after one ring. He seemed to be on edge.

"Hello, Mr. Bostwick. This is Owen. My mom said you called," Owen said. He took a bite out of his sandwich.

"Oh, thank God, Owen, you returned my call. I need your help, urgently," Bostwick said.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Owen asked. Bostwick was alarming him.

"Darren's grandmother passed away early this morning and he won't be able to do tonight's performance. Since you are our understudy for the Romeo role, I need you to do it, tonight. I hope you are ready for this," Bostwick said.

"Yes, sir, I am. I know everything. All of the lines, all of the songs, where he stands, everything," Owen said, excitedly. "What about Paris?"

"Good, good," Bostwick said. "Your understudy will take the role of Paris. I will see you at six. Don't let me down, son."

"No, I won't," Owen said, happily. He hung up the phone and had a huge smile on his face.

"What's up?" his mom asked. "You seem excited."

"Mom, I am getting to be Romeo in tonight's performance!" Owen yelled. "Darren's grandma died and he can't do tonight's performance. I am sorry that she died but I am happy for me."

"Oh my God," Lana said. "George, George, Owen is going to be Romeo tonight." His father came rushing into the kitchen from the living room.

"You know what this means, Lana. We have to get tickets for tonight's show," George said. "We hadn't planned on going, tonight but now we have no choice. Your sister is going to flip when she sees you as Romeo."

"Yup, Julia is coming tonight," Owen said. "She picked the right night to come. I have to call Cristina."

He dialed his girlfriend's number. "Hello, Owen," she answered.

"Cristina! Cristina!" he started.

"What? What?" she replied.

"I am going to be your Romeo, tonight," he said. "Darren can't do it because of a death in his family."

"Oh, gosh. You are going to be Romeo. It is like our dream come true," she said.

"Yes, it is, Cristina. I am so excited," he said.

"Yeah, me too. Good thing we practiced so many times with each other that we are familiar with saying the lines with each other," she said. "So I guess I will see you tonight."

"Yup," Owen said.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Owen got to the auditorium, promptly at six. They found new clothes for him to wear, since at six feet tall, he was five inches taller than Darren and his costumes were way too small and short for Owen to wear.<p>

"Owen, yes, I need to speak to you. Oh, Cristina, can you come across here, please?" Bostwick said. Owen looked around and saw Cristina coming towards them. He grinned at her and he squeezed her hand, as she stood next to him.

"Well, you know, what has happened with Darren's grandma. I called and offered our sympathies," Bostwick said. Owen and Cristina nodded. "Now, we have a few things to discuss here. In terms of the kiss itself, given the height difference between the two of you, you will have to do the kiss, with Cristina standing on a step. That is one thing.

"The second thing we have to discuss is the kiss itself. Now, Cristina, I know you are only 14 years old and Owen is an older boy. He is 17. I don't want you to feel intimidated by kissing an older boy. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," Mr. Bostwick said. "Just let me know if you feel any discomfort by this."

"No, sir," Cristina said. "I am a professional. If I have to kiss Owen Hunt, I will kiss him."

"Ah, good attitude, Cristina," Mr. Bostwick said. "Okay, well, get into make-up." As Owen and Cristina turned away, their faces broke out into huge grins. Bostwick was blissfully unaware that they had shared many, many kisses before.

The second performance of the play started five minutes later because of a lighting issue that nearly had Bostwick pulling out his hair. Again, it was a terrific performance by the Jefferson High School Drama Club. Owen's sister, Julia, now 23, was in the audience, along with her parents. Over the years, she had given her little brother a lot of grief but when she saw him so handsome and strong on the stage, she was the proudest big sister ever. The Yangs were also in full attendance. Since their parents saw last night's performance and tonight's performance, it was clear that there was a different dynamic between this Romeo and Juliet than the pair from the previous night.

There was an easiness and a familiarity between the two main leads that were not apparent before. Bostwick noted that and it was especially evident during the kissing scene. The hesitation that was there when Cristina and Darren kissed was not there. The desperation and the love seemed totally believable. Bostwick was surprised by the passion in that kiss. He was also acutely aware that Owen Hunt was using tongue on Cristina Yang. He was glad that the principal had attended last night's performance and not tonight's show. He wondered how these teenagers could muster so much steaminess in their kiss. As a man who had directed many plays featuring teenagers before, this was something he had never seen before - the chemistry between the two was palpable.

Julia watched her brother and it was clear to her, as it had always been. Owen was in love with Cristina. The love he had for the girl from since he was a child, was still there. Now that he was growing up, it was evident that the love had deepened. She wished someone could love her as much as that. She knew that Owen and Cristina were soulmates.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. They are most appreciated.**


	18. Chapter 18 Aftermath of a kiss

Many people approached the Hunts and said that Owen had been an awesome Romeo and he was so great with that little Yang girl who was Juliet. Even Tricia and Shelly had come by and offered their congratulations.

"Wow, Owen, you were so good," Shelly said. "Your singing voice made me swoon."

"Yup, you were great," Tricia agreed. "Plus you really laid a huge kiss on that freshman. She probably didn't know what hit her."

"Well, Mr. Bostwick said our kiss had to be desperate and full of passion," Owen said, a little defensively. He knew that their kiss was passionate. He couldn't help himself. That was how he normally kissed Cristina and it just showed.

"Owen, we better head home," George said. There was going to be no celebratory dinner with the Yang family tonight. He had tried to talk to Stanley but it seemed that he was not in a talking mood as Stanley dismissed any attempt at conversation. George knew exactly why Stanley appeared to be peeved. That kiss that Owen had given Cristina had brought up a lot of questions. He too needed to speak to Owen about that.

Owen and Julia followed their parents to their vehicle. It was only when they were on their way that George finally spoke.

"Owen, you did a fine performance tonight, much better than I expected. You are a very talented boy. However, I do need to ask you about that kiss you gave Cristina. I am sure you noticed how Stanley and Helen left rather quickly with Cristina and Garrett. I don't think he was too happy about that kiss," George said.

Owen started to use the same line that he had used on Tricia and Shelly. "Mr. Bostwick told us to make that kiss as passionate and desperate as possible."

"I am not sure that Mr. Bostwick told you to use your tongue on the girl. No wonder Stanley was mad," George said. Julia giggled. Her father gave her a stern stare. Even though she was 23, being around her dad still made her feel like a little girl. She straightened her face, appropriately but she felt the need to defend her brother.

"But he loves her, Dad. He always has since he was a little kid," Julia said, shooting her brother a sympathetic look. Owen shook his head. Julia was not helping; she was just making things worse for him.

"What?" George said. "It was the first time I am hearing this. Owen, do you love Cristina?" He took a quick glance at his son, before he turned back to watch the road.

"Yes, Dad," Owen admitted. "I love Cristina." Even though he hadn't want to reveal this piece of information, somehow, it made him feel a lot better about saying it. In a way, he was glad that it was no longer a secret to his parents.

"Owen, I know you are a kid but she is an even littler kid," George said. "She is just 14 years old."

"I know, Dad, but it doesn't mean I don't love her. She is only three years younger than me. If I was 21 and she was 18, nobody would be saying anything about our ages," Owen said.

"Alright, that is true but right now, the age difference just seems huge. She is a freshman, you are a senior. With her height, she still looks like a little kid," George said. "Oh, gosh what a mess. Stanley and Helen must be so mad."

"It is a pity," Lana piped up. "The families were now starting to get back together as friends." She sighed; she had missed Helen during the rift between the boys.

"I am sorry about that, Mom," Owen said. "But it doesn't change anything. I still love her."

"So does this mean that you have been seeing her?" George said.

"Yes, when I can," Owen said. "It's not like anyone knows that we are together. Especially not at school. She would catch hell from the older girls."

"I think that is wise, Owen. Okay, I have no objections you continuing to see Cristina but I am not sure about her parents, Owen," George said. "It will be up to them and the way Stanley looked after the performance, I am not sure that is going to happen."

Owen looked out the window, wondering what was happening with his girlfriend and her family. He wished he could talk to her.

* * *

><p>The vehicle was quiet, as the Yang family headed home. Garrett and Cristina looked at each other in the back seat. They knew something was up with their parents, especially the way that Stanley had acted right after the performance.<p>

He rounded up his family and headed immediately to the school parking lot. He didn't stop for the congratulatory comments that people were offering to Cristina, as they whizzed by on their way out of the school. So, they sat in utter silence in the SUV all the way home. It was only when they got into the house that Stanley finally spoke.

"Cristina, I think I am a patient man, when it comes to dealing with you kids. I rarely raise my voice to you," Stanley started.

"Yes, Dad," she answered. He raised his hand to stop her from talking. He wanted to continue.

"So what I saw tonight had me thinking very hard. Your performance tonight was incredible and your chemistry with Owen seemed extremely electric. A little too electric if you asked me. I have to ask about your kiss with Owen. You seemed more than comfortable in kissing Owen – a far cry from what happened yesterday when you had to kiss Darren," Stanley said. "So am I right in concluding that this is not the first time that you have kissed Owen Hunt, given the ample use of tongue on you?"

Cristina stared at the floor. "Yes, sir, you are right."

"So this means you have been seeing each other, behind my back?" Stanley asked. Cristina nodded.

Garrett felt sorry for his little sister. It was rare that their father was ever severe with them. When he was, it truly had to be a terrible offense. He knew that this one would rank right up there with them. Stanley started pacing, angrily. He stopped several times, as if to say something but the words would not come at the moment. How could his little girl do this? Hide a relationship she was having with an older boy. That was unthinkable – his sweet, innocent little girl doing this. Garrett felt the need to say something to defend his sister.

"Dad, they love each other," he said. His father gave him an incredulous look. "Garrett, you knew about this and you didn't say anything. Have my two children gone mad?" he said. "Garrett, please go to your room while I discuss this with Cristina." Garrett gave his dad a "whatever" look. He really was too old to be sent to his room but he went anyway because he recognized the mood that his father was in. He left the room but gave his sister a compassionate look before he exited.

"Cristina, how long has this been going on?" Stanley asked.

"Not too long, sometime after the semester started," Cristina said.

"You have been seeing him for so short a time and you're already in love?" Stanley could not understand it.

"We had feelings for each other before that," Cristina said. "The fact that he is my boyfriend is really recent."

"I thought you were dating that Bobby Chamberlain boy," Stanley said. "What happened to him? Now there is a boy who is more your speed."

"Bobby went to Dubai, dad. Don't you know that?" Cristina countered.

"He moved to Dubai. How come no one told me the Chamberlains had left the country?" Stanley said.

"I told you that, Stanley," Helen said. "But you were probably not listening."

"Well, that's beside the point. Why can't you find a boy in your own grade and age to date, Cristina? Owen Hunt is practically grown up. He is 17, a senior and he is going to college, next year. You will still have lots of high school left," Stanley said.

"I know all of that, Dad," she said. "But you are six years older than Mom and that is twice the age difference between Owen and me."

"I know that but Mom and I met when we were both grown-ups. You are far from grown-up. Owen is an older boy. You know what older boys want and expect from their girlfriends," Stanley said, emphatically. "You are definitely not ready for that."

"If you're talking about sex, dad, Owen thinks I am not ready for that," she said.

"Hmmm," Stanley said. At least he and Owen Hunt agreed on something important, he thought. He knew that Owen was a good boy from an upstanding family. Owen Hunt was a boy that most men would like their daughters to date – he was handsome, smart, respectful, honest and had goals for the future. If Cristina was 16 or 17, he realized he would not have had any problem with her dating him.

But Cristina was 14, barely into her teens and still a child in a lot of ways, Stanley thought. He knew all of this dating would come to no good. Boys and a girl's hormonal urges were a terrible combination. He wished he could protect her forever but he knew his little girl was growing up.

"Okay, Cristina, other than the fact that Owen is 17, I really cannot find fault with him. Even I have to admit that," Stanley said. "So I am going to compromise with you. You will be allowed to date Owen during the school year until he turns 18. After that, this relationship will not continue in the same manner because then, he will be an adult. He can be your friend but not your boyfriend. I will not have my under-aged daughter dating an adult. What would people say?"

"What? So as soon as Owen turns 18, we can't see each other, anymore? One day he is 17 and the next day he is 18 and it is over?" Cristina could not believe her ears.

"Yes, this is the best compromise I can come up with. I can end this relationship, right now, Cristina," he said. "You can take it or leave it." Stanley knew he had to be firm. He often gave in to his children but he could not back down on this decision.

Cristina looked at her dad and then her mom. The tears were already starting to flow. "Mom?" she asked, tearfully.

"I know Owen is a good boy, Cristina, but Daddy is right. He will be an adult. You can't date an adult," Helen said. Her heart was breaking for her daughter because she knew this was her first love.

Cristina ran into her bedroom and buried her face in her pillow. She was sobbing so hard that she did not hear the soft knock on her door and then, someone coming into the room. Garrett sat on the side of the bed and stroked her hair.

"Shhh, Cristina," he said. "It's okay. What did Dad say?"

Cristina lifted a tearful face off her pillow. "Dad says that I can continue seeing Owen now but when he turns 18, he can't be my boyfriend, anymore. We have until June and then we can be no more," Cristina told her brother.

"Aww, I am sorry to hear that. But look on the bright side, you can still see him until then and you won't have to hide from our parents. That is one good thing," Garrett said in the most soothing voice he could muster.

"Yes, but I love him, Garrett," Cristina said.

"I know you do. But if Owen is the one for you, then when you turn 18, no one can tell you anything. You can be with him. You're very young, Cristina, you have lots of time to be with Owen," Garrett said.

"I don't know what I will do when I can't see him, anymore," Cristina said. "It will hurt so much."

"Yeah, I know," Garrett said. He hugged his sister and he allowed her hot tears to fall on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>It was late at night, when her phone rang. She stared at the screen.<p>

"Owen," she answered in a hoarse whisper.

"Hey, Cristina, you don't sound too good," he said. "What did your dad say?"

"Oh, Owen," she said again. "Dad was not too happy after the performance, tonight."

"Yeah, I figured that. My dad was not very happy, either but he seems more worried about the friendship between them and your parents," Owen said. "My parents don't want to lose your parents' friendship, since it looked like things were going to get better in terms of that relationship. So, tell me, can we still see each other?"

"Yes," Cristina said. Owen could not believe it. "Your dad said okay. Oh my God, that is the best news ever, Cristina. I thought he would have said you couldn't see me anymore," Owen said, happily.

"But there is something you should know," Cristina said. "I can only see you until you turn 18. After that, we can't see each other anymore. He says I cannot be dating an adult." Owen fell silent. Somehow, he expected that.

"It's okay, Cristina. Tell you what, let's just make this the best school year ever. We can still see each other, freely, till then. We won't have to hide from your parents," he said. "Even if we can't see each other when I turn 18, it is going to be okay. I will wait for you, Cristina, until you grow up. I have been waiting for you, almost my whole life. Three more years won't kill me."

"How can you be so positive?" Cristina said. "I cried for a long time tonight and I will probably cry, then too."

"So will I, Cristina but I do know one thing," he said. "What?" Cristina responded.

"Because you and I are meant to be together," he said. "We can hold on to that."

"Okay," she said. "So we'll be together in the end?"

"I promise," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I do appreciate reading your thoughts.**


	19. Chapter 19 The holidays

While their relationship was no longer a secret to their parents, they continued to pretend that they were not together at school. Owen felt it was better that way. He took, in good humor, the joshing from the football team and his friends about how passionately he had kissed the freshman. He would just say that he was being a good actor.

Mr. Bostwick also spoke to him about the kiss and the liberal use of tongue. Owen had listened politely as the man ranted about the kiss. Owen's defense was the one that he used all of the time. He was just being a good actor. Other than that, Bostwick praised him for his overall performance and asked if he would try out for the lead in the planned spring performances of "Oklahoma." Owen smiled at the drama teacher and said he would do so. He hoped Cristina would try out, too. He rather enjoyed performing.

The holidays were coming. First, it was Thanksgiving and then, Christmas. This Thanksgiving, he was truly thankful that Cristina was still in his life, even though there was going to be a time limit on how long they could be together. He was glad he no longer had to hide the fact that he was dating her from their parents. He could now freely come and pick her up at the Yangs' house, whenever they were going out on a date. He made the utmost effort to be extra polite to Mr. Yang. He hoped that Mr. Yang would change his mind on his edict that they were not going to be able to date after he turned 18.

Things were indeed looking up on the Yangs-Hunts friendship front, as both families decided to spend Thanksgiving together. It was going to be held at the Yangs' home, so Lana and Julia went across early to help Helen and Cristina with all of the preparations. They gave Cristina the simpler tasks, since they were afraid she was going to mess up any of the important stuff. She was a little resentful because it was clear to her that they did not trust her but she didn't say anything because she didn't want to bring down the festive mood in the kitchen. It was obvious that Helen and Lana had missed their friendship, very much, as they chatted away about everything.

Julia sat down next to Cristina at the kitchen table, as they both worked on the tasks that they were assigned. She looked at the girl that her brother loved so much. Before the play, the last time Julia had seen Cristina was her 11th birthday party, down at the lake. At 14, Cristina did not look that much older. Her height and small body build made it seem that she was younger than she was.

"So, Cristina, I heard about the compromise that your dad offered you, regarding Owen." Julia said. "I am sorry about that."

"Yeah, me too, at least I get to see him, freely without hiding from my dad, until then," Cristina said. She was a little surprised that Julia was talking to her. At the lakehouse, Julia had completely ignored her because she was a 10-year-old, going on 11. Now, she was actually talking to her, like if she was an equal.

Julia gave her a sympathetic look. "Cristina, I know Owen loves you very much. He has loved you for most of his life. So, he will wait for you to grow up. I hope that you will wait for him, too." What was Julia trying to say to her?

"Are you asking me if I am going to date other guys when I can't see Owen, anymore?" Cristina asked. Julia nodded. Her brother loved this girl more than anything else and she hoped the young girl would have it in her to wait for him.

"Well, I don't plan to," Cristina answered. She couldn't even think about that far into the future. All she was concerned about was the here and now because that was all she could hold on to, for the moment. As it was, she and Owen were living on limited time as a couple. Julia smiled at her.

The Thanksgiving dinner turned out to be particularly amazing. The work of the Hunt and the Yang women was greatly appreciated by their menfolk, who polished off most of the food. Then, Owen and George inveigled the Yang men into the Thanksgiving tradition of watching football. Julia, Cristina, Lana and Helen hung out in the kitchen. While Stanley understood the mechanics of the game, he never really got into it but the game they were watching turned out to be a nail-biter. All in all, Thanksgiving turned out to be such an enjoyable holiday that the two families decided that they would have Christmas together. That was the best news for Owen and Cristina because if the families were getting along so well, then maybe, Mr. Yang would change his mind. At least, that is what they hoped.

* * *

><p>On Christmas Day, the situation was reversed. The Yangs were going to come across to the Hunts for Christmas lunch. Julia, Lana, George and Owen were all helping out in the kitchen. Helen was doing some of the side dishes at home and she was bringing them across when the Yangs came for lunch. They saw each other at the Christmas Eve midnight mass. This was Cristina's favorite church service of the year. The church was so pretty, all lit up with the Christmas lights and she loved the Nativity scene crèche outside of the church. Plus everyone just seemed so happy. Cristina and Owen sat together and he held her hand during the mass. Stanley noted the care and love with which the boy treated his daughter. Still, their age difference bothered him. He questioned his decision about letting them continuing to see each other, for the time being. He wondered if it would have been better if he had just stopped the relationship in its tracks. Yet, he could see how happy they were to be together.<p>

The Yangs showed up around 11.45 a.m. on Christmas Day, with each of them carrying a dish and presents for the Hunts. Much kisses and hugs were shared. Owen held Cristina in a tight hug. "Merry Christmas, Cristina," he said. She murmured against his chest. "What did you say?" he asked.

"I said I have your present for you," she said, handing over a bag.

"Thanks, I have your present, too. It is in my room. After we eat, we can go to my room and open each other's presents," he said. "I want some privacy." She agreed and she watched him put her present to him under the tree.

"Well, come on, let's get these dishes on the table," Lana said. "I have already laid out all of the main dishes." The Yangs dutifully followed the Hunts to their dining room.

"This looks lovely, Lana," Helen said to her friend. Lana blushed. She didn't take compliments, very well.

"Thank you, Helen," Lana said. "Everyone grab a seat. Anywhere that you like." Owen, Cristina and Garrett sat on one side, with Cristina between the two boys. Julia smiled when she saw that Owen had saved the seat next to him for Cristina. Her big, strong, handsome little brother was so in love with his tiny moppet girlfriend. Julia sat with Helen and Stanley on the other side of the table, with George at the head of the table and Lana at the foot of the table. They all joined hands to say a prayer and asked for blessings for their family and friends and for the next year.

"Dig in, folks," George said. "I would like you to know that I, George Hunt, was responsible for the ham, this Christmas. I expect only praises." He laughed, while Lana snorted at her husband. The meal was gastronomically fulfilling. When they had finally finished, it seemed that the adults had partaken in a little too much food and were unable to move.

"Can we be excused?" Owen said. "I just want to give Cristina her present." George nodded. "Sure, sure, we will be here for a while."

Garrett also got up and went to the family room to watch a little bit of television, while Owen picked up Cristina's present to him from under the tree, before he and Cristina headed to his bedroom.

When they got to his room, he closed the door and went straight to his desk drawer. They both sat on the edge of his bed, as she opened her present. It was a pair of earrings, made up of peridot stones, encircled by small diamonds.

"Did you work all summer for this one, too?" she asked. He laughed. "I've built up quite a bit of savings from all the summers I did work but I didn't have you, then." She put on the earrings.

"Look at this," she said. She reached down under shirt and pulled out the necklace he had given her for her 11th birthday. "The earrings match this," she said, showing him the pendant.

"Yes, that is why I bought them," he said.

"Thank you, Owen," she said. "They are beautiful." She handed him the present she had got for him. "I am not financially endowed like you. I just had to rely on my allowance, so it is not as fancy as yours," she said. He opened the bag and pulled out a silver picture frame with the two of them, dressed in their Romeo and Juliet costumes, in a tight embrace on the stage. Cristina's head rested on his chest. They both looked happy.

"Where did you get this?' he asked. "It is so great."

"Madeleine took out the picture," Cristina said. "She gave it to me. I thought it would be a nice gift for you."

"It is a fabulous gift," he said. He reached over and took her chin in his hand, as he kissed her. "I love you," he said, after the first kiss. Then, he kissed her a second time and then, a third time, before it evolved into a full-blown make-out session.

They were still kissing when there was a quiet knock on the door. They immediately pulled away from each other. "Come in," Owen said. It was Garrett.

"Listen, you two, I know you were probably in here, making out but I have to warn you that Dad is looking for you, Cristina. He finally noticed your long absence and asked me where you were. I told him that you had gone out in the backyard," Garrett said. "He should be back in the house, soon and realized that I misled him. So it might be a wise idea to back away from each other."

Stanley had indeed noticed his young daughter's absence. He remembered that Owen said that he was going to give her his present. Garrett told him to check outside but that had to be a ruse because it was too darn cold for her to be outside but he went anyway and found an empty backyard. He shook his head. He wondered if Cristina was in Owen's room. His mind started to work overtime about all of the things they could be doing in there. "No, no, no," he thought.

His feet went into final gear, as he ran up the stairs to the bedrooms. He was going to surprise them and catch them, he thought. He flung open Owen's door, without knocking. The scene he saw before him, was not the one he expected. Garrett was lying, casually, on Owen's bed, throwing a ball in the air. Owen was at his desk on his computer and Cristina was sitting on the window bench seat, reading a book.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Yang," Owen said, nonchalantly.

"Hello, kids," Stanley said. "I was just checking on you guys." He thought quickly. "There is extra dessert, if you want."

"I am full, Dad," Cristina said. "You can ask Mrs. Hunt to put it away for us, so we can carry it home with us."

"I will do that," Stanley said. He gave them all a final look, before closing the door. Garrett, Cristina and Owen grinned at each other. They waited until they finally heard his footsteps going down the stairs before they burst out laughing.

* * *

><p>"Remember to keep warm," Helen said, as she wrapped her daughter in a scarf and put a knit cap on her head.<p>

"Yes, mom," Cristina said. Helen turned to her son. "You take care of your sister, Garrett. It's new Year's Eve and there are a lot of crazy people around."

"Yes, mom," Garrett said. They heard a horn outside. "That's Owen, gotta go, Mom," he said.

Their two children ran outside to climb into Owen's car. In the back seat was Holly, Garrett's 18-year-old girlfriend, who was a freshman at University of Notre Dame, and was home for Christmas vacation. He gave her a kiss as he got in. Cristina got into the front passenger seat, next to Owen.

"Everyone buckled in?" he asked. "Affirmative," Garrett replied.

"On our way to Navy Pier to watch fireworks," Owen said. They were headed to the pier in Chicago. As they got there and found a parking spot, Cristina asked if they could ride the Ferris wheel. "Yeah," Owen said. They found their way to the Ferris wheel and they all got on. Garrett and Holly got on to the first car, then Owen and Cristina got into the second car. When they got to the top of the wheel, Cristina screamed. It was so high and she was scared to look down. Owen held on to her. "It's okay, you won't fall," he said, as he held her close. When they came back down, she was shaking like a leaf.

"I don't think that was a good idea," Owen said to Garrett. "Look at Cristina shaking." Garrett sighed. "Cristina, if you were going to be scared at the top, you should not have gone on," he chided his little sister.

Owen pulled Cristina close, until she stopped shaking. "Let's just get something to drink and to eat and a good spot to see the fireworks," Owen said in a comforting voice. They bought some hot dogs and cokes and ate them.

When it was close to midnight, everyone started counting down, including the four of them. When it was exactly midnight, the fireworks started. Owen bent down and kissed Cristina. "Happy New Year, baby."

Garrett and Holly, who had just kissed, came and hugged them. "Happy New Year," Garrett yelled, giving his sister a kiss on the cheek. The four of them jumped and danced around in a circle.

"It's going to be a great year," Holly said.

"Yeah," Owen said. "A great year." Yes, it was going to be great because he was graduating from high school and starting college but six months from now, he and Cristina were not going to be together, anymore. The celebration was bittersweet. Owen put the thought of their separation out of his mind, as he kissed her again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I really do appreciate reading them.**


	20. Chapter 20 What's in a kiss?

Owen grinned when he saw the casting sheet for Oklahoma. He had been given the lead male role of Curly McLain. He quickly looked at the bottom of the list for Cristina's name.

"What!" he said, loudly. Cristina had been cast as the second female lead, Ado Annie Carnes. If she wasn't Laurey Williams, the female lead, then who the heck was? It was Kristen Fellowes, his fellow senior. That meant he would have to kiss Kristen. Darren Longden was Jud Fry, who was the mysterious ranch hand, who was vying for Laurey's affections. Ado Annie had two love interests – Will Parker, who was being played by Nico Martinelli and Ali Hakim, who was being played by Frankie Shelton. He knew that Cristina would have to kiss Nico.

"Gosh, why did Mr. Bostwick do this to me?" he thought. Not only would he have to endure Cristina kissing Nico, he also had to kiss Kristen.

"So you are Curly," he heard Kristen's voice from behind him.

"Yes," Owen said. "I am." He turned around and looked at her.

"Well, you really did a fabulous job as Romeo, when you had to step in for Darren," Kristen said. She was really pleased that she had been cast as Laurey, plus she would get to kiss one of the handsomest and most popular boys in school.

"Thank you," Owen said. "I look forward to working with you." What else could he say? The girl was grinning like a Cheshire cat in front of him.

Later that day, at the first rehearsal, Owen sat next to Cristina, as she was going over her lines. "I am sorry you didn't get the part of Laurey." She looked up at him. "It's okay. I really didn't expect to get it. I was Juliet and they have to give someone else the lead role. It's only fair," she said.

"You know I would have to kiss Kristen," Owen said. "I just want you to know that I don't feel anything for her."

"Yes, I know. It's only acting, Owen. I have to kiss Nico, too," Cristina said. Just then, Nico came in and sat on the other side of Cristina. She and Nico were good friends, from the time they were forced to act as parents to the baby doll, Jessamine in Social Studies class.

"Hey, Nico," Cristina said. "Congratulations on getting the role of Will Parker."

"Thanks, Cristina," Nico said. "I am glad that I got that role. I didn't want to have to act with somebody I wasn't familiar with, especially since I have to kiss the person who got the role of Annie. So good that it was you."

Owen cringed. Cristina answered, "I know what you mean. Better to kiss somebody you know." Owen looked at Cristina and wondered how she could be so casual about it. They were both going to have to kiss other people.

Mr. Bostwick entered the room. "Good afternoon, young ladies and gentlemen. I trust that all of you have seen the casting sheet and therefore, the roles you have been assigned."

"Yes, Mr. Bostwick," the students answered.

"Now this is something I have to say before we do every production, given that I am dealing with young ladies and gentlemen. Yes, there will be some kissing in this production. Laurey and Curly will share a kiss at their wedding and Will and Ado Annie will also have to kiss." He looked across at Owen and Cristina. "I know that Mr. Hunt and Miss Yang already know how to kiss." They avoided their teacher's gaze.

"So Miss Fellowes, I would assume that you have kissed before," Bostwick said. Kristen blushed and nodded. "So, therefore, we come to young Mr. Martinelli, who will be acting as Will. Nico, have you kissed a girl before?"

"Yes, sir. I have been kissing girls since I was 12," Nico said, proudly. Owen gave him a disgusted look because this boy was going to rest his lips on Cristina.

"Okay, Nico, I don't need to know every detail of your love life," Bostwick said. "Now we have that covered, I need to turn to another matter. Since the year that this musical is based is 1906, Nico, there weren't any cowboys with pierced eyebrows and black eyeliner. You will have to lose the goth look for the production."

Nico groaned. "Alright, Mr. Bostwick. I will remove the eyebrow rings and ditch the eyeliner for the performances."

"Thank you, Nico, for your kind consideration," Mr. Bostwick said. "Before I forget, performances are set for the week before spring break. Okay, let's get down to reading the play."

* * *

><p>Rehearsals went well during the first few weeks. It was the day before Valentine's Day and for the first time, Owen and Cristina were going to practice kissing their fellow actors. First up was Nico and Cristina. As Owen watched them kiss, he felt the same sense of revulsion that he felt when he saw Cristina kissing Darren. Nico proved to be an expert kisser for his 15 years of life on this earth. Even Cristina had to admit that Nico was a good kisser. When they broke apart, he gave her this smug look like he knew he was good. "Hmmm," Cristina said, as she walked away.<p>

"That was acceptable," Mr. Bostwick said. It always amazed him how some of his younger actors and actresses knew how to kiss so well. In his day, when he was 14, he hadn't even kissed as yet. "Okay, next up is Kristen and Owen," Bostwick said. Kristen had this huge grin on her face, as they said their lines. "Okay, let's see the kiss," Bostwick said.

Owen closed his eyes and pretended that it was Cristina he was kissing. That was the only way he could get through this, he thought. Unfortunately, pretending he was kissing Cristina had an undesired effect. He really kissed Kristen the way he would kiss Cristina. By the time they stopped kissing, Kristen was breathless and blushing. Bostwick shook his head. "A little less passion, there, Hunt," the drama teacher said.

Owen looked out at the students. Then, he saw his girlfriend's face. She looked hurt and disturbed by that display she had just witnessed. When he returned to his seat and sat down next to her, she got up from her seat and moved two seats away from him. She was fuming mad.

When he took her home, she did not say one word to him. When they got to her house, he turned to her and said, "It didn't mean anything." She just got out of the car and walked to her house. He called out after her. "What time should I pick you up tomorrow for our dinner date? Remember it is Valentine's Day." She didn't even turn around to acknowledge that he spoke to her. She got into her house and slammed the door.

* * *

><p>He called her the next day but she did not answer. He left a message for her to call him but he got no return call. He finally showed up at her house at 6.30, dressed in a suit and armed with red roses and chocolate. He rang the doorbell, feeling that it could be a wonderful night. Mrs. Yang opened the door.<p>

"Um, Owen, Cristina says she is not feeling well and would not be able to go out, tonight," Helen said. Mrs. Yang was a bad liar and could not even look at the boy in his face. She stared at the ground, hoping that he would accept that lame excuse and go, quickly. She couldn't believe that she was actually doing this but her daughter had begged and pleaded.

"What?" Owen said. "I made reservations and everything. I had to book a month in advance because it is Valentine's Day and it would have been all booked up, if I had waited too long." Helen was feeling so bad. "I am sorry, Owen," she said. She really was sorry – that she was lying to him and also that he was so disappointed.

"Okay," he said. Cristina was still mad. He handed Mrs. Yang the flowers and the chocolates. "Tell her that I hope she feels better and I hope she likes the flowers and the chocolate. Good evening, Mrs. Yang."

"Good evening, Owen," Helen said. She shut the door and headed straight to her daughter's room. Cristina was lolling on her bed. She handed her daughter the flowers and the chocolate.

"Cristina, I hate what you just made me do. That boy looked so forlorn. I am so mad at you," Helen said. "You should apologize to that boy, after all he has done to try and make this a memorable Valentine's Day for you."

"Me, apologize? I didn't do anything wrong," Cristina protested. "He was the one, who was kissing that the girl like if she was the love of his life."

Helen shook her head. She walked out of the room, unable to deal with the trials and tribulations of young love. Cristina looked at the roses. They were beautiful and smelled wonderful. She felt like tossing them but instead, she found a vase, filled it with water and put the roses on her desk. She opened the box of Godiva chocolates. She felt like eating the whole box; she felt so miserable. She bit into one and allowed the creamy goodness to melt on her tongue. "Mmmm," she thought. That was awesomely good, she thought. She finished the first one and attacked a second truffle. She lay back on her pillow. Then she heard the noise. It sounded like a stone, hitting a glass. Then, she heard it again. It definitely was a stone, hitting a glass. Someone was throwing small stones at her window. She looked out of her window. It was Owen, on her front lawn, about to throw another stone at her window.

She opened her window. "What the heck are you doing?" she yelled. "You are going to break my window. My dad will be mad, if you do."

"I thought you were ill. You seem fine to me, if you can yell at me like that," he said. "I am not sorry that I am throwing stones at your window. And if it broke, I would have fixed it. At least it got you to talk to me."

"I am not talking to you," she said. She folded her arms.

"Seems like you're talking to me. Your lips are moving and words are coming out of them. Please let me come up," he said. "It's getting cold out here and my coat is in the car."

"Come up? To my room? My dad won't allow you to come to my room," she said.

"I know, that's why I am going to do this," he said, as he started climbing the trellis.

"Stop that. You will ruin your suit," she said.

"What do I care about ruining my suit when I am not going anywhere, tonight, since my girl has refused to go out with me?" he said. He was making quick work of getting to her window. As he neared the outside of her window, "Move from there, I am coming in." She backed away from the window as he climbed in. He dusted off his suit, as he entered. He looked around. He had not seen Cristina's room, since she was a child. It certainly looked more grown up but a few remnants remained. Her favorite dolls and teddy bears were sitting on a shelf.

"Hey, you still have Samantha, Tabitha, Hugo and Bruno," he said. "Nice to see them again."

"Yes," she said. "They were my friends. I have to keep them. I gave away all of my other toys, though. I just kept them. I don't play with them, of course. I just have them and I keep them clean. Maybe, I will give them to my daughter, when I have one," she said.

He also saw that she had put his roses in a vase and had placed them on her desk. On the side of her mouth, was a little bit of chocolate, a clue that she had also been eating the chocolates. He wiped the side of her mouth with his thumb and then sucked the chocolate off his thumb.

"Why are you so mad?" he said. "Were you jealous when I kissed Kristen, yesterday?"

She flopped on her bed and turned away from him. He sat on the bed. "But you kissed Nico, too," he said. "How do you think that made me feel?"

She turned around and gave him a resentful glare. "It's not that you had to kiss Kristen. I was aware of that. It is just how you kissed Kristen. You didn't have to kiss her so - so passionately. That was the problem."

"Ohhhh. I am sorry about that. The thing is I can't imagine kissing anybody else but you, so I closed my eyes and imagined that I was kissing you. I guess that was the problem. I kissed her like I was kissing you. I am so sorry," he said. "I will do better, next time."

"You better have. Kiss Kristen like you're kissing Kristen," she said. "That is all I ask."

"Can I ask the same of you?" he said. "Kiss Nico like you're kissing Nico."

"I do, except he thinks that he is God's gift to women," Cristina said. "He was so smug about that kiss. I could have smacked him."

"Okay, we have come to an agreement. Closed mouths and no tongue," he said. "Is that a deal?" He put out his hand for her to shake. They solemnly shook hands. "Now can we go to our dinner reservation? We still have 45 minutes to get there."

"Okay, but you will have to go back down the trellis and ring the doorbell again," she said. "Give me 15 minutes."

He smiled and then climbed back down the trellis. Fifteen minutes later, he rang the doorbell. Mrs. Yang opened the door, again.

"Yes, Owen, I don't think she is feeling any better," Mrs. Yang said, staring up in the air, this time.

"It's okay, Mrs. Yang. She is coming down the stairs, now," Owen said. Helen turned around and to her surprise, she saw her daughter, garbed in a lovely red dress. Helen breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't have to continue this charade.

"Ah, you're feeling better, Cristina?" Helen said. She smiled at her daughter.

"Much better, mom," Cristina said. She took Owen's hand and they started walking towards the car. "See you later, mom."

"Goodbye, Mrs. Yang," Owen said.

As they got into the car, Cristina leaned over and pulled Owen's face into a deep, passionate kiss. "You only kiss me like that," she said.

"Yes, ma'am. Only you," he said. "Let's go to our dinner."

Cristina grinned at him, as they headed off to their romantic Valentine's night dinner.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thank you. I do appreciate reading your reviews.**


	21. Chapter 21 College acceptance

The maitre'd eyed them, curiously. This couple was very young, compared to the age of the average couple, dining at the restaurant for Valentine's Day.

"And your name, sir?" he said.

"Owen Hunt. I booked it over a month ago," Owen said. He put his arm around Cristina.

"Hmmm," the maitre'd said, looking over his reservations book.

"I am certain it is there," Owen said. "I called this morning to confirm." This maitre'd was making Owen very nervous.

"Ah, here we are, Owen Hunt. Dinner for two," he said. He handed them two menus. "Come right this way."

They followed him, as he placed them near a window, where they could look out on the city.

"Thank you," Owen said. The maitre'd pulled out the chair for Cristina. Owen was disappointed. He wanted to do that.

"Your server is Norman. He will be with you, shortly," the maitre'd said before he left.

"This place looks expensive," Cristina said. "Are you sure you can afford this?"

"Yes, I brought enough money. Plus dad gave me his credit card, as a backup, just in case," Owen said. "We will definitely not be washing dishes, tonight."

"Do they really make people do that?" Cristina asked, looking at her soft, small hands. It wasn't often that she washed dishes.

"I don't know but they always say so in the movies," Owen said. They opened their menus. "You can order anything you want."

"Really? Big spender," Cristina teased. Her eyes grew wide at the prices of the items.

"I just want you to have a great time," he said, as he reached over and squeezed her hand. "What do you want for appetizers?"

"I guess the crab-stuffed mushrooms would be fine," she said. "And I will take the shrimp and lobster pasta for my entree."

"A big seafood fan, I see," he said. "Okay to the mushrooms and maybe, I think I will take the grilled mahi mahi with nectarine salsa. It comes with vegetables and a wild rice. It's good we're ordering different things, we can taste the other's dishes." Cristina nodded because she really wanted to taste the nectarine salsa. That sounded yummy.

Norman, their server, arrived. "Good evening," he said, as he filled their glasses with water. "Is there anything I can get you to drink?" He looked at them, closely. If these two youngsters thought that they were going to get any alcoholic drinks, they were most certainly wrong.

"We have a fine assortment of juices," Norman said, steering them in the right direction.

"Can we have sparkling grape juice?" Owen asked. They could at least pretend that they were having wine.

"Yes, young sir," Norman said. "Are we ready to order as yet?"

"Yes. For appetizers, we will have the crab-stuffed mushrooms. Cristina will have the shrimp and lobster pasta and I will have the grilled mahi mahi," Owen said.

"Excellent choice, sir," Norman said. "I will be right back with the sparkling grape juice and your appetizers." He was true to his word, bringing their juice and appetizers soon after.

As Cristina bit into the crab-stuffed mushrooms, she closed her eyes at how scrumptious it was. "It's so good, Owen. How did you find this place? It is not the normal place that a high school student would know about."

"My dad recommended it," Owen said. "He said it was a romantic place and he used to take mom here, when they dated."

"Ah," Cristina said. "Well, it must be a very successful place to still be in existence from when they were young. I can see why. These appetizers are delicious."

"Yup," Owen grinned, as he finished off another mushroom.

Norman soon returned with their entrees, placing the fish in front of Owen and the pasta in front of Cristina. "Enjoy, my young friends."

They shared the food off each other's plates, so each of them got a taste of the other's dish. For dessert, Cristina ordered the strawberry shortcake, while Owen took the chocolate brownie with the caramel sauce, which they again shared with each other. When they finished their dessert, Owen was going to ask Norman for the check but he noticed a lot of other couples dancing. He had never danced in a restaurant before.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked, putting out his hand. She looked at him, shyly. She also had never done this before.

"I think I will be self-conscious," she said.

"Don't worry, we will be self-conscious, together," he said, as she placed her small hand into his. They were the youngest couple on the dance floor and everyone smiled at them. Cristina rested her head against Owen's chest, as they danced.

"We do have a height disparity, here," she said. "I promise I will get taller."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, you do that, Cristina." They held each other and gently swayed to the music, until the band was done. He led her back to the table and pulled out her chair for her.

Owen called Norman for the check and Cristina watched as he dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and put enough cash to pay the bill, as well as give Norman a generous tip.

They walked out out of the restaurant to his car, hand in hand. There was a cold chill in the air and they were grateful for the warmth of the car. It was quiet as they drove home. She reached over and took his hand in his and kissed it. "Thank you for a lovely night," she said.

"The night is always lovely when you're with me," he said, kissing her hand, too. When they got to her house, he walked her to the door and she stood on the step, as they kissed.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Owen," she said. "Happy Valentine's Day, Cristina," he said. He gave her a tight hug, before he left.

* * *

><p>The next week was spent in more rehearsals for the Oklahoma production. It was a rather strenuous role for Owen, in terms of how many songs he had to sing as the male lead role. He hoped his voice would hold up for the show. But he was having fun, especially since he got to spend all the time with Cristina at rehearsals. They had both learned how to kiss their fellow actor without getting the other one jealous. They were sticking to their deal of "closed mouths and no tongue." It made life so much easier for the two of them.<p>

Spring Break was coming up fast and the show was going to be held the week before the Break, which was starting the third week of March. On the day of the first performance, Cristina came in, rather excitedly.

"What's up?" Owen asked.

"Garrett just got the word from CalTech. He has been accepted for the fall semester," she said. "We are so very happy."

"That's terrific," Owen said. He wondered about his Northwestern application. He had not heard anything as yet.

"What about Northwestern?" she asked. She knew that he badly wanted to go to Northwestern.

"I haven't heard anything as yet," he said. "I am getting kind of worried."

"But you have your safety schools," she said. "You can go to one of those, if you don't get in."

He sighed. He didn't want to go to his safety schools, mainly because all were out of state. Being out of state meant he would be far away from Cristina. He had already been accepted to the three schools. He had to make a decision fast because they would not hold his place for him, forever. Why the heck Northwestern was not getting back to him? It was getting him a bit frustrated.

"I don't want to go to one of my safety schools," he said. "That would mean that I would be thousands of miles away from you."

"But you won't be able to see me, even if you are at Northwestern," she said. They looked at each other, with sad eyes. She spoke the truth. Even if he did get accepted at Northwestern, her dad had already decreed that they could no longer be a couple.

"I know, but I will still know that I am close to you," he said. At least he tried to comfort himself with that.

Mr. Bostwick came into the make-up room and shouted, "Get in your places, kids. We are going to get started. Break a leg, everyone."

The performance went off like clockwork. Mr. Bostwick was pleased. As usual, he monitored the kissing. He was pleased that the liplocks were all chaste.

After the performance, the Yangs and the Hunts went out to celebrate, not only the triumphant performance of Owen and Cristina but also Garrett's acceptance into CalTech.

"Good going, Garrett," Owen said, slapping his friend on his back.

"Yeah," Garrett said. "I am more than pleased. I can't wait to get to California."

"I tell you, he wants to be part of The Big Bang Theory," Cristina said. "And hang out with Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj. You know they are not real, Garrett. Hey, hey, I just realized you have a nerdy name just like the rest of them."

"Ha, ha," Garrett said. "At least I won't miss your peskiness, Cristina Yang."

"Oh, shut up, Garrett Yang. You will miss me more than anything. You'll be calling and emailing and Skyping and tweeting," Cristina said. "First time you are going to be all alone by yourself in California."

Garrett was silent. What she was saying was definitely true. He had never lived away from his family before. "Yeah, I know, shrimp, I will miss you and Mom and Dad," Garrett said. He turned to Owen.

"Have you heard from Northwestern as yet?" he asked his friend.

"Not as yet. I am getting worried," Owen said. "It is my top pick."

"Don't worry about it, son," Lana said. "You already got accepted to three schools. You can go to any one of them if you don't get in."

"But I want to go to Northwestern," Owen said, glumly.

"You'll get in," Garrett said. "I know you will." He also knew why Owen wanted to stay in Illinois. He wanted to stay close to Cristina.

"Hey, don't want to bring you down," Owen said. "We're here to celebrate your good news."

The rest of the night was spent sharing good food, laughs and conversation.

* * *

><p>For spring break, Owen went with the Yang kids to visit their grandparents, who lived in Jupiter, Florida. They went swimming, sailing and fishing. They had a wonderful time and Owen forgot about Northwestern for the time being.<p>

When he got home, as soon as he opened the front door, he saw it. His mother had left an envelope for him on the foyer table. He stared at the address on the top left hand side corner of the envelope. It was Northwestern. His mom came out and saw him there.

"So you're back, honey? How was Florida?" Lana asked and gave her son a hug.

"It was great, mom," he said. He was still staring at the envelope.

"Aren't you going to open it? It came yesterday and I have been dying for you to come home," Lana said.

"Mom, I will open it in a bit," he said, clutching the envelope, tightly.

"Okay, son, I will be in the kitchen," she said. "You can come and tell me." As she left him there, Owen opened the front door and ran to his car. He threw the envelope on the front passenger seat. He drove the five minutes to Cristina's house.

He rang the doorbell several times. He could hear Garrett's voice. "Hold your horses, whoever you are." He opened the door. "Owen, we just dropped you off. Did you forget something in the car?"

"No, no," Owen said. "Where is Cristina?"

"In the kitchen, having a snack," Garrett said. "What's that you're holding?"

"The letter from Northwestern," Owen replied.

"Why don't you open it?" Garrett asked.

"I wanted to open it with Cristina," Owen said. He ran to the kitchen and shoved the envelope in Cristina's hand. "Open it, I am too nervous."

Cristina stared at the envelope. "Northwestern. You want me to open this, huh?" She wondered if to torture him a bit but he looked so anxious that she changed her mind.

She tore open the envelope and started reading.

"Dear. Mr. Hunt,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into our freshman class, for the fall semester….."

Owen grabbed the letter from her hand and started whooping. He and Garrett jumped for joy. He grabbed Cristina and hugged her. "You know what this means – I get to stay in Illinois and be close to you." He kissed her on the mouth.

"What's going on here? Why are you kids so excited?" Mr. Yang said. Owen immediately pulled away from Cristina. Mr. Yang was surprised to see Owen. He had just dropped him off at his own house.

"Owen got into Northwestern, Dad. His first choice," Cristina said, excitedly.

"Congratulations, son," Mr. Yang said. "Did you tell your parents?"

"Oh, God, no," Owen said. He immediately rang his mother. "Mom, I got into Northwestern!"

"That is wonderful, Owen. You got what you wanted, baby," Lana said. "But why are you calling me? Aren't you in the house?"

"No, no, I just went to Cristina's house to have her open the envelope for me. I was too nervous," Owen said, happily.

"Okay, son, I am going to call your dad and tell him," Lana said. "We are going out to celebrate, tonight. Tell the Yangs they are all welcome to join us."

"Great, mom," he said. He hung up and turned to Mr. Yang. "Mom said we are going to celebrate, tonight and to invite your family to come out with us."

"Why, thank you, Owen. I will tell Helen the news," Stanley said, as he left the kitchen.

"Isn't this great? We're getting everything we want, buddy," Garrett said. Owen looked at Cristina and quietly said, "Not everything."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I appreciate your thoughts.**


	22. Chapter 22 Will you be my prom date?

With senior prom coming up, Owen needed to find out one thing. He went to Mrs. Carver, the teacher on the prom organizing committee. She was also the vice principal so she was a great authority to get the correct information on all things related to prom and school rules.

He had sought an appointment with her and she said she was able to see him during the lunchtime break. "Come in," he heard her chirpy voice say. He opened the door to reveal to a ash-blonde woman with cat-eyed spectacles and florid pink lips.

"Ah, Mr. Hunt, how can I help you?" she asked. "Have a seat."

"It's about prom, Mrs. Carver," he started.

"Prom, Mr. Hunt? Don't tell me you're having trouble getting a date. I would not be able to believe that. Handsome young man, school football hero like yourself. That does not seem possible," Mrs. Carver said, smiling broadly at the young man in front of her.

"No, it's not that. I already have an idea on who I would like to bring as my date," he said. "I just need to find out whether there are any restrictions on the person I can bring as my date."

"Well, the only restriction that we have is that your date must be under 21 and be accompanied by a senior," Mrs. Carver said. "Why, Owen Hunt, are you thinking of bringing an older woman to the prom? A 20-year-old, perhaps?" Her eyes twinkled as she teased him.

"No, not older," he said. "So we can invite a freshman, sophomore or a junior to the prom, right?"

"Yes," Mrs. Carver said. "Yes, once they are accompanied by a senior. So it's a younger girl, then." Owen nodded.

"Well, she is very lucky to have a good-looking young man as her date," Mrs. Carver said.

"Thanks, Mrs. Carver," he said, smiling.

"Don't forget to get your prom tickets, as soon as you can," she reminded him.

"Oh, I already got them. It is going to be a special night," Owen said.

"Yes, it is, Owen. I guess I will probably see you there, then," she said.

"Yes, you will," he said, as he left her office. Great, he thought, there were no restrictions in bringing a freshman to the prom. He had decided that he was going to ask Cristina to the prom because it was coming to the end of the school year and he was going to graduate two weeks after the prom. It didn't matter anymore if everyone knew they were dating.

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><p>It was a tradition at their high school that when you asked a girl to senior prom, it had to be done with style. It just wasn't about asking a girl to a prom, like you would on a normal date. Some serious thought had to be given to it. Owen had already figured out what he was going to do. One of his dad's friends owned one of those planes that he used for aerial banner advertising. He had arranged with him to put up a banner that said, "Cristina, will you be my prom date?" He just needed her to be outside so she could see it. It was on Saturday morning he had arranged for the plane to fly over her house. He got there to her house around 8 a.m. He rang the doorbell. Luckily for him, it was Cristina who answered it.<p>

"What are you doing here so early, Owen?" she asked, surprised to see him.

"Come outside," he pleaded.

"Why? I am still wearing my pajamas," she said. "What if the neighbors see me?"

"You are perfectly dressed for this hour of the morning. People pick up their morning paper in their pajamas," he said. "Just come outside. Hurry." He looked at his watch. The plane was going to pass at any minute. She was frustrating him.

"Do you trust me, Cristina?" he asked. She nodded. "Yes," she said.

"Well then, come outside," he said. She looked around before she stepped outside. Owen pulled her in the middle of the lawn because he could already hear the plane's engines. "Look up in the sky." She stared up; all she could see was the blue sky and clouds. What was she supposed to see? She was puzzled. She looked at him, confused.

"Don't look at me, Cristina," he said. "Look up in the sky. Ah, there it is. The plane, Cristina." She looked up, once again and yes, there was a plane with one of those banners behind it. She squinted because of the sun but she could read the banner, "Cristina, will you be my prom date?" She read it aloud. She looked up at the banner, once again, to make sure that she read it right.

"You did this?" she was incredulous. "Yes," he said. "Well?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! The senior prom – you're asking me to the senior prom," she shrieked.

"Of course," he said. "Who else would I ask? You're my girlfriend and you're the only person I want to share it with."

"What about everyone at school? They will know that we are together. I thought we were keeping that a secret," she said.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I am going to graduate two weeks after the prom. I could live with the weird looks for two weeks," he said. "Senior prom is a highlight in every high school student's life and I want to take my girlfriend to it."

"Okay," she said, with the hugest smile on her face. She was already thinking about the dress. Her mom could help her choose it out.

"Oh, before I forget," he said, as he walked out to the car and took out a bouquet of pink roses and baby's breath and handed them to her. "These are for you." She took in the fragrant smell of the roses.

"Thank you," she said. "I have to tell my mom. We have to get my dress. So I will see you, later."

"Yes," he said. He gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Definitely." He got into his car and drove away.

Cristina ran back into the house. "Mom, mom, mom!" she yelled.

"What's wrong, Cristina?" Helen came out of the kitchen, surprised to see her daughter carrying a bouquet of pink roses. "Who gave you that?"

"Owen! He just asked me to go to prom with him," she yelled, happily. "He hired a plane , with a banner that said 'Cristina, will you be my prom date?'"

"Senior prom?" Garrett said, coming out of the kitchen, munching a sandwich.

"Yes," Cristina said. "I'm going to the prom, too." Garrett whistled.

"What was that about?" Cristina demanded of her brother. "That whistle."

"Nothing, it's just that you will be the only freshman there," Garrett said. "Won't that make you feel uncomfortable?" Cristina hadn't thought about that. Her happiness was cut short in its tracks.

"But both you and Owen will be there?" she said, softly. They could hear the insecurity in her voice.

"Yeah, I will. Don't worry about it, Cristina," he said, as he saw her emotions changed from excitement to one of doubt. "I am sorry; I shouldn't have brought that up. Owen and I will take care of you." His mother shook her head at him and gave him a glare. She took the flowers from Cristina. "Let me put these in water. Cristina, we will start looking for a dress, today." She left the living room to go find a vase.

Garrett wished he hadn't opened his mouth. His little sister now looked so unsure. She went to her bedroom and she called Owen.

"Hey, baby," he answered. "Did you tell your mom? Going to start looking for a dress? Remember to tell me what color it is, so I can get you the right corsage."

"Are you sure you want to take me to prom?" she asked.

"What are you talking about? Of course I want to take you to the prom. I didn't go through all that trouble to get that plane for nothing," he said. "What's the matter, Cristina?"

"I just realized I will probably be the only freshman there," she said. "Won't I be out of place? Everyone else will be older and will think I don't belong."

"Cristina, don't you worry about that. You're with me. I will take care of you. Nobody will dare tell you anything," he said.

"I am just not sure if I want to go, anymore," she said. "Bye, Owen." She hung up the phone. Owen stared at the phone. What the hell, he thought. He called Garrett to find out what was going on with Cristina.

"Hey, Owen," Garrett said when he answered his phone. There was a resignation in his voice, like he was expecting this call.

"Garrett, what is wrong with Cristina? I left her this morning, all excited about the prom and now, she's calling me, telling me that she isn't sure that she wants to go, anymore. What has happened in a space of 30 minutes?" Owen asked. "Did your mom or your dad say something? Aren't they allowing her to go the prom?"

Garrett groaned, loudly. "No, my parents are okay with it. It is something I said. I told her that she was going to be the only freshman at the prom. Then, she got all insecure about it."

"Thanks, Garrett, really thanks," Owen said, sarcastically.

"Sorry, dude," Garrett said. "Maybe you can come back and fix it."

"That's what I intend to do," Owen said, as he left his house to drive back to Cristina's house.

Cristina had already changed her clothes. Her mom had said that they were going to IHOP for breakfast to start the day of mother-daughter bonding through shopping. She heard the sound of the stone hitting her window. She opened her window.

"Hey, Owen," she said.

"Can I come up?" he asked. She nodded and backed away from the window. He made quick work of climbing up the trellis and into her room.

As soon as he got in, he looked at her and shook his head. "So what nonsense are you saying that you are not sure you're going to the prom? Many freshmen would kill to go to the senior prom."

"That's exactly it. There won't be any freshmen there. I will be the only one," she said.

"So?" he said. "I will be with you and no one will tell you, anything. We are allowed to bring anybody we want, as long as they are accompanying a senior and are under 21. You fit that criteria to a t," he said.

She still looked doubtful.

"I asked you, earlier if you trusted me and you said yes," he said. "Trust me, once again. You will be okay. All I want is for you to be with me. All you have to do is to find the prettiest dress and look beautiful, which for you, won't be hard to do," he said. He put out his hand for her to take. She came forward, took his hand and he pulled her in his arms.

"There is no one else I want to be with on senior prom night," he said. "You're my girl." He hugged her, tightly. They were startled by a knocking on the door.

"Cristina, are you ready?" Helen said, from the other side of the door.

"Just now, Mom," she said, motioning Owen to go under the bed. He promptly did so. Cristina opened the door for her mother.

"Good, you're wearing a dress," Helen said, inspecting her daughter's shopping outfit. "Easier for you to change. Well, let's go." Cristina followed her mother out of her bedroom.

Owen waited until he could hear their car, driving away. He got out of there fast before he could get caught by Mr. Yang.

"Is Owen here?" Helen asked, as she noticed a familiar looking car, parked a little away from their house.

"Owen?" Cristina asked. "He left waaaaaaay early this morning."

"Oh, I thought I saw a car that looked like his," Helen said, turning the wheel to make a right turn.

"Must just be a similar color and model," Cristina told her mom. She looked back, just in time to see Owen, jumping in his car and speeding off. She laughed, silently.

Cristina and Helen had a great time at the prom dress shop. The assistant was extremely helpful, pointing out that with Cristina's dark hair and dark eyes, she would look wonderful in jewel tones. In the end, they chose an amethyst colored dress. The purple looked wonderful against Cristina's skin.

"A wonderful choice," the shop assistant said, as she rang up the sale.

"It's expensive, Mom," Cristina whispered.

"That's okay,baby. You're going to be the prettiest girl at the prom. No seniors will be able to outshine my girl, even if she is only a freshman," Helen said, as she handed over her credit card.

When Cristina got home, she rang Owen. Without even an a greeting, she told him, "My dress is the color of amethyst."

"Amethyst," he said. "That's pretty. Now, I know what color tie I'm wearing and what flowers I should be getting. So you're okay about everything?"

"Yes," she said. "I love my dress. It's so beautiful."

"You're going to be the prettiest girl at the prom," he said.

"That's what mom said," Cristina said.

"Listen to your mom. She knows best," he said.

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><p>Three weeks later, Owen came to pick her up for the prom. He had hired a limo to take her to the hotel ballroom where the prom was being held. Both Stanley and George had sprung for the limo ride, which would be shared by both Owen and Garrett and their dates. Owen's mom had helped him choose the purple Peruvian lilies for her corsage.<p>

He waited, anxiously, in the Yang foyer, for her to come down the stairs. Both Mr. and Mrs. Yang had their cameras ready.

"I am coming," she said.

"Get down here, squirt," Garrett said. "We have to go pick up Holly."

When Cristina finally came down, it seemed so surreal. Owen had the biggest smile on his face. She took his breath away.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. It really helps in the writing process. Thank you for leaving your reviews.**


	23. Chapter 23 Senior Prom

**A/N: Sorry that I took a while to update this. It has been hard, trying to write, because I just didn't feel like it.**

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><p>"You look so beautiful," Owen said. "You look so grown up." Cristina gave him a radiant smile. She thought she looked beautiful, too, but it was nice for someone else to say it. The sales associate from the store was right. The purple dress looked amazing on Cristina's skin tone. He put the corsage on her wrist.<p>

"It's pretty, Owen," she said, admiring the purple Peruvian lilies.

"Yeah, my mom helped me pick it out," he said. He just couldn't stop grinning because she looked so pretty.

"Oh, baby girl," Stanley said. "You look lovely." He picked up his camera and took her picture.

"Yes, squirt, amazing what a little bit of make-up and a pretty dress can do," Garrett said, teasingly. Cristina showed her age by sticking out her tongue at her brother.

"Oh, shush up, Garrett, you know your sister looks gorgeous," Helen said. Her eyes were filling up with tears. Her baby was growing up, so fast.

"Let's take some pictures," Stanley said. "In front of the fireplace. Come on, Owen, Garrett, Cristina." The three teenagers followed Stanley's direction. First, Cristina by herself, Garrett by himself, Owen by himself, Cristina and Garrett together, Owen and Cristina together, Owen and Garrett together and then finally, the three of them, together with Cristina in the middle of the two boys.

"That's enough pictures, dad," Garrett said. "Just imagine I have to do this again at Holly's house."

"Okay, have a great time. Cristina, I expect you to come home, straight after the prom," Stanley said. "No after-prom parties." She nodded. Owen took Cristina's hand as they got into the limo. They soon got to Holly's house, where Garrett got out to pick up his date. Owen and Cristina stayed in the limo. He said, "You really look beautiful, Cristina. I am so proud you're my date."

"Thank you, Owen," she said. "You look pretty awesome, yourself." Owen held her close and gave her a kiss. The limo driver looked back at his young charges. "Ah, young love," he thought. "It was so nice to see." After 15 minutes, Garrett and Holly emerged from her house. They climbed into the back of the limo.

"Hey Cristina, Owen," Holly said. She had come back for the weekend from Notre Dame to specifically attend Garrett's senior prom. He had attended hers last year, when she was a senior, so it was only fair that she attended his. "You look really pretty, Cristina. So grown up."

"Thank you, Holly," Cristina said. "You look pretty, too."

"Thanks," Holly responded. "Alright, enough of the mutual admiration society," Garrett said. "Let's get headed to dinner." They were headed to the dinner in a restaurant near the hotel, where the prom was being held. It was an excellent dinner for the four teenagers. Cristina hoped when it was her senior prom, her dad would let her invite Owen to it, just like Holly was going to Garrett's senior prom, even though she was in college. She would be 17 then and maybe, he wouldn't object to Owen being older, by then. At least she could hope for that.

Owen smiled at her as she had some sauce at the side of her mouth. He took his napkin and gently wiped it away. "I am just removing a little bit of sauce," he said. "Can't mess up your gorgeous make-up."

Garrett watched as Owen tenderly wiped the sauce away from Cristina's face. It was so obvious to anyone who was watching how much Owen loved Cristina. Maybe, deep down inside, Garrett had always known that Owen loved Cristina, even when they were children. He always took care of her, much more so than Garrett.

"I guess we better head to the ballroom," Garrett said.

"Okay," Owen said. He pulled out his wallet to pay for the dinner, and so did Garrett, as they split the bill between the two of them. It was a hefty sum, but thankfully, their dads had given each of them enough money to cover it.

The four teenagers headed back to the limo, which took them to the prom. Cristina was apprehensive when they got to the hotel, but Owen held on to her hand to calm her down. They handed in their prom tickets at the door and the first thing they had to do was take their pictures. First, Garrett and Holly posed and then, Owen and Cristina took their picture. He put his arms around her and they took their picture.

"Okay, now we'll go into the ballroom," Owen said. "Take my hand." She grasped his hand, as they entered. The ballroom was prettier than she had imagined. So this was what the senior prom looked like. She was so engrossed in looking at all of the decorations and the lights that she missed the audible gasps and whispers of some of the senior girls. The most popular senior boy in school had brought a freshman girl as his date.

"Good Lord, he brought the freshman to senior prom," Tammy said, snorting. She was more than pissed. She had always imagined throughout her high school career that Owen would have been her date for the senior prom. She grabbed on to her date's arm in an attempt to console herself. Tammy's date was Roy Gibbons, the linebacker, who had mercilessly teased Cristina on her first day of high school. Roy was more than amused that Hunt had brought the freshman to the prom. He knew he was right that day when he told Hunt that the little freshman was special to him. He chuckled at how insightful he was. He surprised himself, sometimes. He was not a dumb meathead, like everybody thought.

"Could you please get me a Coke, Roy?" Tammy asked her date. "I think I need one, right now."

"Sure thing," Roy said. He was going to do what Tammy said because he was hoping that he was going to get lucky, tonight.

"Well, I don't think my opinion counts around here but I think they make a lovely couple. That purple dress she is wearing is fabulous. I saw that at the shop but the price is outrageous," Shelly said. "My mom refused to buy it for me. But I have to say that she looks amazing in it."

"They do make a great-looking couple," Tricia added. "She with her long dark curls and he with his blonde hair." Tammy could not believe what her two best friends were saying. They were traitors, both of them, she thought. She gave them both an evil glare.

"Oh, come off it, Tammy," Tricia said. "I am done catering to your every whim. We graduate high school in two weeks. Does it really matter anymore who Owen Hunt brings to the prom? He was never yours, anyway, no matter how hard you tried to make it so." Tammy was aghast at the words coming out of Tricia's mouth. She looked to Shelly for some back-up. But none was forthcoming. In fact, Shelly seemed to be supporting Tricia.

"Tammy, we have been your friends, for all of the four years of high school. Three of us are going our separate ways. I am going to Tennessee, Tricia is going to Vermont and you are going to Kentucky. Owen Hunt is going to Northwestern and he isn't going to keep in touch with you, while you are out of state, Tammy. This part of our life is over," Shelly said. "We have been great friends, Tammy and we are going to remain friends but we all have to move on from our high school life."

"Come to think of it," Tricia said, as a great revelation hit her. "Remember how we thought that Owen was acting strange all year. He was doing things that didn't seem like the Owen we thought we knew, like joining the drama club and acting and singing in plays. He did it all for her because she was interested in drama. He loves her."

Shelly nodded while Tammy looked disgusted. Roy had since returned with Tammy's Coke. She sipped at it before she announced, "Come on, Roy, let's dance." Tammy, who was wearing a particularly sexy dress, wanted Owen to notice her, so she made sure that she and Roy danced near Owen and Cristina. All her efforts to attract his attention were to no avail, because Owen only had eyes for his date.

"So are you enjoying yourself?" Owen asked. "Oh, yes," Cristina answered. "This is my first dance ever. I never thought that my first dance would be the senior prom. Dad says I could go to more dances, when I am a sophomore."

When she said that, Owen knew that he would not be the one taking her to any dance, when she was a sophomore. Their time together was soon coming to an end. He just felt the need to kiss her, which he did.

"Mr. Hunt," Mrs. Carver said, tapping him on the back. "No kissing on the dance floor. We have to keep it clean out here."

"Sorry, Mrs. Carver," Owen said, sheepishly. Cristina buried her head into Owen's chest; she was so embarrassed.

"No problem, Hunt, just keep your lips to yourself," Mrs. Carver said, as she spotted another violation, a little way ahead. Every year, she wondered why she kept volunteering to chaperone the senior prom. Making sure that these teenagers didn't break any of the rules was a full time job.

As an up-tempo song came on, Owen asked Cristina if she wanted to get a drink. They walked off the dance floor and he found a chair for her. "I'll be back," Owen said. Cristina sat quietly, waiting for Owen to return, when she noticed that Tammy was headed in her direction. What did Tammy want?

"So, Cristina," Tammy said. "So you're here at the senior prom. This must be exciting for you. It's rare that we see freshmen at our school at the senior prom."

"Yes," Cristina said. "It is quite nice."

"So Owen is your date?" Tammy asked, in a derisive tone. "Are you a couple? Is he your boyfriend?"

Cristina did not like Tammy's tone. It seemed a bit hostile to her. "Yes, he brought me, here," she said, defiantly. "Yes, we are a couple. Yes, he is my boyfriend." No senior was going to ride roughshod over her. Owen looked across and saw Tammy "chatting" to Cristina. He knew that Tammy was up to no good. He got their drinks and hurriedly, went across to where the two girls were.

"Tammy, how can I help you?" Owen said, as he handed Cristina her drink.

"Oh, nothing, Owen. Just having a little chat with Cristina, here. I will be on my way," she said. Her dress swished as she walked away.

"What did she want?" Owen asked.

"Oh, she asked if we were a couple and if you were my boyfriend," Cristina said, taking a sip of her drink. "I told her yes. I just didn't like her tone."

"Don't worry about her. She is just not worth it," Owen said, shaking his head. He was so glad that he never got entangled in Tammy's web, no matter how hard she tried.

The rest of the night was magical, Cristina thought. They danced a lot and they had a really fabulous time. Then, it came time for the announcement of prom king and prom queen. Owen knew that he had been nominated for the title but he didn't really care if people voted for him or not. He also knew that Tammy, Shelly and three other girls from the senior class were also up for prom queen. If he won, he hoped that Tammy did not win prom queen because he would be forced to dance with her.

Mrs. Carver took charge of the microphone on the stage. "Young ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. I know some of you have been eagerly awaiting this. There are five young men up for prom king and five young women up for prom queen. I am only going to announce the winners."

Everyone waited with bated breath. "The prom king of this year's senior class is …..Owen Hunt."

"Congratulations," Cristina said, kissing him on the cheek. "Thanks," Owen said, reluctantly going to the stage, where Mrs Carver put a crown on his head. He felt so embarrassed by all of this.

"And our prom queen for this year's senior class is…..Shelly Garcia," Mrs. Carver said.

"What!" Tammy was heard to shriek. Shelly had beaten Tammy to the win the title of Prom queen. This was turning out to be one of the worst nights of Tammy's life. She stormed out of the ballroom, followed by Roy. Shelly seemed visibly shocked. She had totally expected that Tammy would win. The crowd clapped wildly as she took the stage. Mrs. Carver crowned her with a tiara. Owen was so happy that Shelly won. He wouldn't have to dance with Tammy.

"So our prom king and queen would now have their dance," Mrs. Carver said, ushering the two students to the middle of the ballroom.

As they danced, Owen said to Shelly, "I am so happy that you won."

"Thank you, Owen. I really wasn't expecting this," Shelly said. "By the way, your date tonight is lovely."

"Yes," Owen said, looking at Cristina smiling at him from the sidelines. "She is."

"I can tell that you love her," Shelly said.

"Is it that obvious?" Owen asked.

"Well, you were doing things this year that we never thought that you would do. Now, we know you were doing them for her," Shelly said. "You weren't hanging out with us, as you normally did. When a guy does all that for a girl, he loves her. She is a lucky girl."

"Thanks," Owen said. "Shelly, you're a good friend. But you hang out with Tammy and she is most definitely not one of my biggest fans, right now."

"Oh, Tammy. She will have to get over it," Shelly said. "She always thought you were going to be her boyfriend. I told her it was time to move on. This chapter of our life has ended."

As the song finished, Owen thanked Shelly for the dance. "No problem, Owen. I got to dance with the most popular guy in school at the senior prom. Check that off the bucket list," she replied. Owen returned to Cristina's side and she gave him a big congratulatory hug.

Garrett and Holly came up to them. "Congratulations, Owen. I kinda knew you were going to be prom king."

"Thanks," Owen said. "But even if I wasn't, that was going to be okay, too."

"Holly and I are going to an after-prom party. We're going to catch a ride with Rickey and Laura. You can take the limo to take Cristina home," Garrett said. He knew very well that Mr. Yang was not going to allow Cristina to attend any after-prom parties, given that some of them had some rather wild reputations.

"Okay," Owen said. Later, when they were ready to leave, he asked the limo driver to take them to the lake. They took a walk on the lakeside and they watched the boats bobbing in the water. He held her face in his hands and kissed her in the moonlight. "This has been one of the best nights of my life," he said.

"Why? Because you were prom king?" she said, teasingly.

"No, because I spent it with the person I love the most in the world," he said, kissing her again.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I do appreciate reading them and it does help in the thinking process.**


	24. Chapter 24 Graduation

Owen woke up that morning, knowing it was a special day. Today was the day of his high school graduation. He got up and did a full stretch. His mom had already ironed his shirt and pants and he had chosen a navy blue tie, since the school's graduation gown was blue.

The graduation ceremony was set for 10 a.m. that day. So he knew he had to get going as soon as possible. He showered and changed into his clothes. He went downstairs to grab some breakfast, only to be surprised that his mom had put up a banner in the dining room, which screamed, "Congratulations, Owen."

"Oh, mom, you didn't have to do all of this," he said, as he surveyed the banner, as well as the breakfast she had made. "I could have grabbed a sandwich or something." He kissed his mom on her forehead.

"No, no my boy is graduating from high school," she said. "It's a special day. You must have a great breakfast."

Just then, his dad and his sister, Julia entered the dining room. "Julia," he said, hugging his sister. "I thought you said you weren't going to make it."

"I was just kidding. Do you think I was going to miss my baby brother's high school graduation? I am going to be there to torture you when you graduate from Northwestern, too," Julia said. "You are the only little brother I have."

"I have your graduation present out front," George said. "Do you want to see it?"

"Yes," Owen said. He greatly suspected that his dad had got him a new car and he was very excited. He ran out to the front and there it was, a brand new Honda CRV.

"Thanks, Dad," Owen said, as he opened the front door and checked the interior.

"You can drive that over to your graduation," George said. "And to carry all of your stuff to Evanston, even though that is not too far away."

"I guess this means I have to sell my car," Owen said, happily. He hugged his father.

"Yes, I guess so, son. I need to recoup some of the money that I spent on the CRV," George said. "Now let's go in and have that amazing breakfast that your mother just made."

The Hunt family made their way into their house enjoy their breakfast, happily chatting about what was going to come.

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><p>At the Yang house, they too were having their breakfast. Garrett was totally nervous. He was going over his speech since he was class valedictorian.<p>

"It's going to be alright, son," Helen said, trying to reassure Garrett.

"Mom, it's going to be all of the faculty, all of the graduating class, all of the parents and the featured speaker listening to me," Garrett said. "It has to be good. I don't want to bomb out there."

"But you have done so many debate club competitions and you always ace those," Stanley said. "Don't be nervous."

Cristina sat quietly, eating her pancakes with maple syrup. Graduation meant another milestone for Owen and Garrett. That also meant the time that she and Owen had together was soon coming to an end. They had maybe a month and a half again together, since Owen's birthday was at the end of June.

"Oh, I forgot," Stanley said. "Here is your graduation present." He handed him a key. The key clearly said Toyota.

"A car, dad? I finally get my own car!" Garrett said. "After being vehicle-less throughout my whole high school experience, I finally get my own car. Is it outside?"

"Well, no," Stanley said. "It is actually in California. I got Uncle Stephen to buy the car out there for you. It is waiting for you, when you get to Pasadena. My son is a college man. He needs his own wheels."

"Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom," Garrett said, giving both his parents are a hug.

Cristina was glad for her brother that he was finally getting his own car. It didn't do much for Garrett's reputation in high school that he was always being picked up by his dad, after school.

"Cristina, go put on your dress," Helen told her. "We will be leaving soon."

"Okay, mom," Cristina said, as she got up and went to her bedroom. Her mom had bought her a new dress for Garrett's graduation. It was a pretty dress but as she put it on, she felt sad. This was the end of high school for Garrett and Owen. Soon, they will both leave her behind to fend for herself in high school. The prospect was scarier than when they left her in grade school. Somehow, high school was just meaner.

The last two weeks of the semester were pretty amazing. Everyone knew that Owen Hunt was dating the freshman and they were glad that they didn't have to hide it, anymore. He openly held her hand and had lunch with her. He got a little bit of joshing from some of his football buddies but they, like the rest of the senior class, had realized it didn't matter, anymore. They were all graduating, soon, and it didn't matter who Owen Hunt was dating. With the exception of Tammy, of course, who still gave Owen some mean glares from across the lunchroom. Owen shook his head, when he saw her glaring at him. Tammy just did not know when to let go. At least, Tricia, Shelly, John and Peter were okay with the whole situation, since they sat with Owen and Cristina during the last two weeks of school.

Cristina was still reflecting on the last two weeks, when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she said. It was her mom.

"My, you look so pretty in that dress. I knew it would look perfect on you when I saw it on the mannequin at the store," Helen said. "What are we going to do about your hair?"

"I thought maybe just wear a headband and just let the curls flow freely," she said.

"Okay," her mom said, as she started brushing out Cristina's hair. Even though Cristina was no longer a little girl, her mother still enjoyed brushing out her daughter's beautiful curly hair. Cristina didn't mind it because she loved these mother-daughter bonding times. After fixing Cristina's hair, she put on some light make-up on her 14-year-old daughter's face, finishing it with a rose blush and pink lips. "There we go, all done," Helen said. "I think everyone is ready to go."

They all piled into Stanley's SUV and they headed over to the school. Garrett donned his gown and his cap, as soon as he got out of the car, before they all walked over to the courtyard where the graduation ceremony was being held. It was great that it was a fine, sunny spring morning for this outdoor graduation ceremony. Owen was already seated among the graduates. Cristina, her mom and her dad joined the Hunts in the audience. Garrett left them to take his seat on stage. As class valedictorian, he was going to sit on the stage with the rest of the speakers. As Owen spotted Garrett heading to the stage, he looked around for Cristina. If Garrett was here, that meant Cristina was also there. He spotted her ebony hair, shining in the sun. She was reading the program and wasn't looking up. He wanted to wave at her.

It was Julia, who noticed Owen looking back. She knew that he wanted to get Cristina's attention. "Cristina," Julia whispered. "Look up, Owen wants to wave at you." Cristina looked up and gave him a sunny smile, as he waved at her. She looked so pretty in her dove-grey dress and white headband. He loved this girl so much. It was only when the they heard Principal Walters clearing his throat and tapping the microphone on the stage that they stopped smiling at each other.

"Ladies and gentlemen, students, please take your seats, we are going to start the ceremony," the principal said. He looked pleased at this particular graduating class because every single one of them had gained acceptance at Universities all over the country. There were no slouches here, he thought.

The ceremony started with addresses and musical interludes from the high school band, who weren't half-bad, Cristina thought. Then, it was Garrett's turn. He was the speaker right before the featured guest speaker.

The Yangs and the Hunts clapped wildly for him. Stanley got up and took a few pictures, while Helen who had the steadier hand, was filming the entire ceremony. Cristina looked at them and she groaned softly. She knew they were proud of Garrett but they didn't have to be the parents with all of the electronic equipment. She knew that they were going to behave the same way when she graduated.

Cristina listened to her brother who spoke about how bright the future was for all of the graduates and that they were masters of their own destiny. It was up to them how they wanted to shape their future. He also reminded them that going to college would be the first taste of freedom without the confines of parental rules, he warned that they should take the lessons that their parents have taught them to become responsible adults. It was actually a great speech and everyone applauded when he was done. Principal Walters even shook his hand at the end of it.

After the featured speaker made his address, it was time for the graduates to cross the stage and accept their diplomas. Since the names were being called out in alphabetical order, Owen was in the first batch of graduates to cross the stage, while Garrett was the very last student. The Yangs and the Hunts applauded their sons.

After the ceremony, the two families went out for a celebratory luncheon. After the orders were taken, the discussions turned to summer plans. Helen said she was going to take the kids to Europe in July and August before they dropped off Garrett in California to start school at CalTech. Though she didn't mention it, it was her way of helping Cristina cope with the loss of her boyfriend after June.

George said Owen was going to take a job in the mailroom at his company during the summer, before he started school at Northwestern. "I am going to teach the boy some responsibility at a real job. No more mowing lawns and cleaning pools. He will actually have to wear some decent work clothes to be employed at my company."

"Oh, I remember that," Julia said. "The summer before I went off to college, Dad made me work as a receptionist at his company. The phones kept ringing all of the time and it was so hard to keep up with all of the messages. I wanted to quit. But Dad said I could not quit because if his own daughter couldn't handle the work, what kind of message would it send to the rest of the employees. I was blackmailed into sticking out that job for the entire summer."

"Weren't you paid, Julia?" George said. "There is nothing wrong with an honest day's work and getting paid for it."

"Yes, dad," Julia said, resigned not to win any battle with her dad.

"So, Owen, are you looking forward to your job?" Helen asked the blonde boy.

"Yes, I am," Owen said. The main reason he was looking forward to his job was that it would keep himself occupied, when he was separated from Cristina. He reached under the table and searched for her hand. Their fingers intertwined tightly. To the two of them, Mr. Yang's edict just seemed so unfair.

* * *

><p>They spent the next six weeks, spending as much time together as they possibly could. Owen had started his job in the mailroom at his dad's company. All of the ladies in the company positively chirped when he was around. They never expected that Mr. Hunt's son was such a handsome, young man, who looked so grown-up for his age.<p>

In the evenings after work, he would pick up Cristina at her house. They went to the mall, to the city, to the movies, to the roller rink, to the lake. In reality, it didn't quite matter where they went. They just wanted to spend every possible moment together. They were both not looking forward to the end of June.

Then, it came, faster than they both expected. It was a fabulously sunny June day but the brightness of the day contrasted heavily with the darkness in Owen's heart. Most people would be happy to be turning 18. It was a milestone birthday – the day when he was now officially an adult. He woke up, that morning with a heavy heart. The sadness was overwhelming.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your thoughts and comments. I am always appreciative of your reviews.**


	25. Chapter 25 Owen's 18th birthday

His 18th birthday. Owen had been dreading this day for a while now. It was going to be the last day that he was going to see Cristina as his girlfriend. He changed into his work clothes, went down for breakfast and was greeted by his mom. "Hey, baby," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "My baby is now a grown-up."

"Hey, son," George said. "Happy 18th birthday!"

"Thanks, mom, dad," Owen said, quietly. They both knew that their son was in a sad mood. He had not been looking forward to this day at all.

"Well, since your mom and I are broke after buying the SUV for you, we decided to get you something small," George said. "A new Ultrabook laptop that you can take to college." He handed Owen the box.

"Thanks, Dad," Owen said. "You didn't have to do this. You guys have done so much for me, already."

"You're our only son," Lana said. "Who else are we going to buy these things for?"

Owen gave both his parents a hug. "So what are your plans for today?" George asked."Other than work, of course."

"Um, Cristina and I are going to go out tonight," Owen said. "It's our last time."

"I am sorry about that, Owen," George said. "I had hoped that Stanley would have changed his mind but I can see his point. She is still very young."

"I know, Dad," Owen said. He quietly ate his breakfast and headed off to work in his SUV. In the mailroom, he sorted the mail for each of the floors and as he made his mail run, he collected cupcakes and presents from the ladies of each floor. They all fussed and fawned over him. He received so many birthday kisses that day. It was a good day to deliver mail. He went back to the mailroom and called Cristina.

"Hey," he said, when he heard her voice.

"Hi, Owen," she said. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," he said. "I am looking forward to tonight."

"Yeah, me too," she said. "I have a new dress. Mom bought it for me for tonight."

"I am sure you're going to look lovely," he said.

"I have something special planned tonight," she said.

"Really?" he asked, smiling. "What are you going to do? Juggle while balancing on a ball? That would be a sight to see."

She laughed. It was good to hear her laugh. It was supposed to be a happy day but it was also somber, too.

"Okay, I will see you tonight," she said. "Have a great day at work." He was glad for having to work that day. It took his mind off the inevitable.

He got home around 6 p.m., showered and changed into a suit. They were going out to dinner to celebrate. He made the short drive to her house, went up the walkway and rang the doorbell. To his delight, it was Cristina who answered the door. She was wearing a turquoise colored dress and her curls were all fluffed out.

"Happy birthday," she said, rushing out and hugging him. He held her tightly. "Thanks, babe," he said. "You look awesome. Pretty dress on a beautiful girl. Are you ready to go?"

"Yup," she said. She looked back and shouted, "Mom, I am going." Owen heard Helen answer, "Okay, Cristina. Have fun."

They were going to their favorite restaurant at their favorite table and served by their favorite waiter. His name was Reynold and he had gotten used to seeing the young couple at his restaurant. The young man had always ensured that he reserved their favorite table. It was a special place for two of them because they had great times, there.

"I am going miss coming here with you," Owen said.

"Yeah, me too," Cristina agreed, sipping at her drink. They had already ordered and they were awaiting their food. She dug into her bag and handed over a small box. "This is for you."

He ripped open the paper, eagerly, to reveal a watch. "It is a beautiful watch, Cristina," he said.

"Look at the inscription," she said. He opened the box and took out the watch, turning around the face. He read aloud, "O, Happy Birthday. Now and forever, C."

"I will always treasure this, Cristina," he said. "Thank you very much." He reached over the table and captured her lips for a kiss.

They had a very enjoyable dinner, followed by dancing. "Is it my imagination or have you grown?" he asked. "Somehow you seem a little bit taller than the last time we danced."

"Yes," she said, gleefully. "I have grown. I am almost five foot two."

"Okay, but you're still a tiny morsel," he grinned back at her, as he kissed her on the forehead. They danced for a bit, had dessert and left. They drove to the lake and watched the stars in the sky.

He leaned over and kissed her. "Let's go in the back," he whispered. They climbed into the back seat of the SUV and began making out, passionately. Their lips and tongues found the other's as they kissed over and over again. He ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the softness and feel of her curls between his fingers. As she bit him on the neck, he found his hands, going up her dress to feel the satiny smoothness of her thighs.

The kissing was so intense that Cristina began feeling warm and wet between her legs. She wanted him to touch her there. She reached over and made quick work of unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. He pulled away and asked, "What are you doing?"

"This," she said, as she slipped her hands down his underwear to feel his hardened member. It was the first time she had actually felt his penis. When they made out, before, she could feel it stiffening against her body but this was the first time she actually had skin to skin contact with it.

He gently removed her hand. "No, Cristina, we are not going to do this, here."

"Don't you want me?" she asked, with confused eyes.

"Of course I want you. I have wanted for more than half my life. I want you for the rest of my life but we're not going to do this, now," he said.

"Oh," she said. "This was the something special I was going to give you." She looked a little deflated, when she said it.

"Oh, Cristina," he said, taking her face into his hands and kissing her. "It is a very special gift that you want to offer me. I am so happy that you want to do this but this is not where we are going to make love for the first time."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because when we make love, it is not going to be some uncomfortable, sweaty encounter in the back seat of my vehicle. It has to be special. It has to be something that you will remember. I don't want your first time to be like this," he said, as he zipped up his pants, even though it was still straining a bit to do so.

"I feel different," she said. "I feel ready. I feel all wet and ready."

He chuckled. "It's just your body responding to me. Well, I am glad to confirm that you are very attracted to me. Come here." He pulled her close and they lay together like that for a while. He was only aware that she was crying, when he felt the tear fall on to his hand.

"Are you crying, baby?" he asked. He pushed up her chin to look at her face and to see the tears streaming down her face.

"It's our last night, together," she spluttered out. "I won't get to see you for a long time."

"I know," he said. "But Cristina, this won't be the end. We will be together, again."

"But what about if you meet a college girl, who will give you sex all of the time?" she said. The thought of that made her cry even harder and she buried her face into his shirt.

"Oh, Cristina. I love you," he said. "I have always loved you. From the day, I saw that curly haired, four-year old, standing in her bedroom doorway, I was a goner. My seven-year-old heart was taken from that moment on."

"You know that day, you squeezed my cheeks. I didn't allow anyone to squeeze my cheeks, but I let you do it," she said.

"See, even then, you knew that I was going to be the one for you," he said, laughing. "We are meant to be, Cristina. You and me."

"I don't think anyone expects to meet their soulmate when they are four years old," Cristina pointed out.

"Yup, well think of how many terrible dates we will avoid because we found each other so young," Owen said.

"Will you think of me when you're at Northwestern, while I am still going through the trials and tribulations of high school?" she asked.

"Every day," he said, holding her close. "What about you? Will you think about me?"

"Always," she said.

They held each other, until it was time to go home so she wouldn't break her curfew. He walked her up to her door. They held each other, tightly and he kissed her, gently on the mouth.

"I love you, Owen," she said.

"I love you, Cristina. Don't you ever forget that. We will be together, I promise you that," he said.

With a final hug, they said goodbye. She opened the door and stepped inside. She ran to her room, collapsed on her bed and started crying.

Owen could feel the tears, rolling down his cheeks, as he walked away from the house. He was still crying, as he drove away.

Helen heard Cristina weeping in her room, and came in. She didn't say anything but stroked her daughter's hair, until Cristina stopped crying and eventually, fell asleep.

* * *

><p>The next day, Helen, Garrett and Cristina took off from Chicago and took a transatlantic flight to London. They were going to spend the next six weeks in Europe, visiting England, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Switzerland. After their European trip, they were all going to California to drop Garrett off at his CalTech dorm.<p>

Helen and Garrett made sure that Cristina had a wonderful time in Europe because they knew she was unhappy. They visited many places and tried out a lot of different foods and bought a lot of souvenirs. Everywhere, they went, Garrett bought a t-shirt for every town they visited. Helen said that Garrett was getting himself a whole new wardrobe for when he went to CalTech.

Meanwhile, Owen buried himself in his job at his father's company. He made himself into the most efficient mailroom boy ever. His dad was pleased that he was embracing his job so well and gave him more responsibilities outside of the mailroom. He was glad to be learning new things but he was so ready to go to college at the end of the summer. Even though he was very industrious at work, people still noticed there was an air of sadness around the boy.

Cristina's 15th birthday was coming up. Even though they weren't together, he still planned to get her a present. To get the present to her, it would require getting Garrett's help. He knew when Mrs. Yang and her children would be back from Europe. They would be back home for about a week before they left for California. Cristina's birthday fell during that time period, so Garrett would still be around to help him get his gift to Cristina.

He called Garrett, the day before Cristina's birthday.

"Hey, Owen," Garrett answered. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess, considering the circumstances," Owen said. "Are you heading to California, soon? Mom and Dad are driving me over to Northwestern over the weekend."

"Yeah, soon. The parents are rather excited," Garrett said. "Plus I finally get my car, that is waiting for me in California."

"Good for you. Anyway, the reason I called is to ask if you can you do me a favor," Owen said.

"Sure, buddy," Garrett said. "What's up?"

"I have a present for Cristina's birthday," Owen said. "Well, you know, since I can't see her like that, anymore, can you come over to my house and collect the present and can you give it to her?"

"I could do that," Garrett said. "But I am going to do you one better."

"What?" Owen asked, puzzled.

"Just you wait and see," Garrett said, mysteriously.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. I do appreciate when you leave your thoughts. Thank you very much.**


	26. Chapter 26 Cristina's 15th birthday

It was coming to the end of the summer vacation. School was going to start in a bit. Cristina always knew that soon after her birthday, school would start the week after. They were going to leave tomorrow to drop off Garrett to California. She was looking forward to going to California. She always liked it there. The weather was so much better than Chicago. She wondered if she should apply to California schools when she was ready to go to college – maybe USC or UCLA or Berkeley or Stanford.

So far, her birthday was turning out to be a great day. Mom had bought her five new dresses, while Dad has sprung for the latest IPhone. Garrett had got her some jade earrings. All in all, she had gotten some really nice presents. The only thing missing was Owen. She missed him, terribly. The last time, she had seen him was in June on his birthday and then, she and Garrett were whisked off to Europe. Dad had not changed his mind about his edict. Both she and Owen had hoped that things would change but they did not.

She thought about him, every day and she knew that soon, he would be off to Evanston. Not that it was even far away but it might as well have been, she thought. She knew that one of the reasons that Owen had chosen to go to Northwestern was that he could remain in the same state as she was in. But did it really matter? He could have been in Vermont and the situation would be the same.

She was admiring her jade earrings, when Garrett interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey, squirt, do you like your present?" he asked, with a grin.

"Yup, the jade earrings are lovely," Cristina said. "Did Holly pick these out?"

"I am so hurt," Garrett said. "You don't think that I have good taste." He chuckled. "I chose them but I did ask Holly for her opinion. She concurred that the purple jade was a wonderful choice."

"How do you and Holly do it?" Cristina asked. "She's been away at Notre Dame for a year already and now, you are going clear across to the west coast. How do you keep it together as a couple when you are so far apart for most of the year?"

"Well, we can call each other, text, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Facetime," Garrett said. "It's not so bad. Don't tell Dad but sometimes, Holly and I have conversations, late at night. Dad thought I was studying."

"At least you still have that. Owen and I don't have any of that," Cristina said, woefully. She looked at her brother with sad eyes.

"I know, kiddo. Sorry about that," Garrett said. "Hey, I was thinking that since it's going to be my last night here, why don't we go out to dinner, together? After all, it is your birthday, too. It could be a combination birthday/farewell dinner for the two Yang siblings."

"Okay, if you want," Cristina agreed. "That will be nice. It has been a long time, when it has just been the two of us. Mom and Dad are always around."

"So, great, we will leave around 6 p.m.," Garrett said.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Cristina came down the stairs to go out with Garrett. She was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans.<p>

"Is that what you are going to wear?" Garrett asked, flabbergasted.

"What do you mean?" she said. "I thought we were going to some casual dining restaurant."

"Look at me," Garrett asked. "I am so nicely dressed and my little sister expects to go out looking like a hobo."

"Well, you didn't tell me that there was going to be a dress code," Cristina said, defensively. "I thought I was just going to hang out with my brother."

"Well, I am not taking you out, looking like that. Go change your clothes. Wear one of the pretty dresses that Mom bought for you," he said. "Wear the navy blue. That's nice. Goes well with your dark hair."

"Are you giving me fashion advice, Garrett Yang?" Cristina said, reluctantly trudging back up the stairs. "As far as I can tell, you are no Ralph Lauren."

"Ha, ha, squirt. Just go change your clothes. We are going to be late," Garrett shouted after his sister. Fifteen minutes later, she returned in the navy blue dress and heels. Her thick, dark curls were all shiny and she wore some light makeup.

"Okay, is that better?" she asked. Garrett inspected her from head to toe. "Yes," he said. "You are now acceptable to be seen in public." She stuck out her tongue at him.

"I don't see why I had to get all dressed up for you," she said, following him out of the front door. Garrett was using his dad's SUV to take her out.

As she strapped herself into the front passenger seat, she asked, "So where are we going?"

He looked across at her and smiled, "It's a surprise, Cristina."

"Oh, I hate surprises," she said, groaning. "I just hate them. It's not somebody jumping out of the bushes and scaring me, right?"

"Of course not," Garrett said. "What kind of brother do you think I am?"

"Ha, ha," Cristina answered. "Oh, please, I have known you for the last 15 years and you have been an endless source of trickery and mischievousness against me."

"I've grown up, Cristina," he said. "When was the last time I played a trick on you? Must be about three years, now."

She was forced to agree. Garrett had long ceased to be the terrible older brother who tortured her, when she was a little girl.

He stopped. "Well, here we are," he said, triumphantly. Cristina looked out. It was her and Owen's favorite restaurant. "I don't want to go here," Cristina said. "Let us go somewhere else."

"No, this is where we are supposed to be," Garrett insisted.

"No, Owen and I used to come here, all of the time," Cristina said. "It will just remind me of him and it will make me cry."

"Okay," Garrett said. "Just wait. Ah, there he is."

"Who?" Cristina said. Then, she saw him. Owen's unmistakable tall figure was emerging from a vehicle on the other side of the car park. "Is that…?"

"Yes," Garrett said. "That is Owen." Cristina got out of the car and leaped into the tall boy's arms. Owen picked her up and swung her around.

"Owen," she said. "I have missed you so much." She didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. It was such a mix of emotions. She was so unbelievably happy to see him. He put her down and took her face into his hands and kissed her. "Happy birthday, Cristina," he said.

Garrett had now walked up and joined them. "Hey, buddy. See I did bring you your surprise."

"Thank you for this," Owen said, still holding Cristina in one arm, as he shook Garrett's hand. "I can't thank you enough."

"See I did promise that I would do you one better," Garrett said, laughing.

"This is the best present you could give me, Garrett," Cristina said, as she gave her brother a tight hug.

"I have been waiting a while," Owen said. "How come you got here so late?"

"It's her fault," Garrett said. "You would not believe the awful outfit she was wearing, when she first came down. Made her change into a nice dress."

"Well, how was I to know that this was what you planned?" Cristina said, pouting.

"Just trust me, will you, squirt," Garrett said. "Okay, I am going to leave you guys, now. I am going to meet Holly at another restaurant, a couple blocks from here. So here is the plan. Cristina, since Mom and Dad think you are out with me, you are going to get to stay an hour past your curfew. I will meet you here, maybe about 15 minutes before that, so we will get you home, without either of them suspecting anything."

"Agreed," Owen said. Cristina nodded her agreement. They watched as her brother drove off. Owen took her hand and they headed into the restaurant. As usual, he had booked their favorite table in the place. "Welcome, my young friends," their favorite waiter, Reynold said, as the maitre d' ushered them to the table.

"Hi," Owen and Cristina said, in unison.

"Will it be the usual, today?" Reynold asked. He smiled. It was so much easier when patrons ordered their usual meals.

"Is that okay, Cristina?" Owen asked. She nodded. "Yes, thank you, Reynold," Owen said. Reynold went away and returned with their drinks. "Already ordered your entrees, so that should be up in a short while," Reynold said.

"So this is a huge surprise, right?" Owen said, reaching over and taking her hand into his, before he kissed it.

"Yup, I didn't expect this at all," Cristina said. "Garrett is kinda sneaky that way. Did you know?"

"Yes, well, in a way," he said. "I called Garrett, yesterday and I told him if he could come over and collect your birthday present from me. He said he would do me one better. Told me to get dressed up and to meet him here on your birthday at 6 p.m. I figured he was going to bring you to me. I was so excited for the whole day. My dad kept asking me why I was so hyper."

"Do they know that you're with me?" she asked.

"No, they think that I am trying to get over you by finally going out on a date with someone else," he said. "I think it is the best that the parents don't know anything. Besides, they should know that I will never get over you. You are my soulmate."

Just then, Reynold brought over their entrees. "Enjoy, young ones," he said, as he left.

As he ate, he just kept looking over at her. It was like if he couldn't really believe that she was really there. "Why do you keep doing that? Looking at me?" she asked.

"I just can't quite believe that you're here. I haven't seen you in nearly two months. I keep thinking that it is a dream and I am going to wake up from it and be horribly disappointed," he said. "I know it is only one night but I am so grateful to Garrett for giving me this."

"Yeah, he has turned out to be a great brother," Cristina concurred.

Their meal turned out to be as wonderful as it was on Owen's birthday. They ate dessert and they danced, again. Then, they drove to the lake, where they climbed into the back seat and made out. It was rather bittersweet. They had been given a second opportunity to be together and while it made them the happiest people on earth, they also realized that they were going to be forced to say goodbye for a second time.

Owen lay back, while Cristina rested against him. She felt something sharp in his pocket sticking her. "I have always wanted to say this. Is that something in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"

He laughed. "Well, you know that I am always happy to see you. But there is something in my pocket." He pulled out the small box. "Happy birthday, Cristina." She opened the box. It was an oval diamond locket with a flower pattern on a white gold chain. "Wow," she said. "This cost a lot, I know. You didn't have to buy me something so expensive."

"I spent most of my salary from this summer on it," he said. "Open it." She opened the locket. In it was a picture of him on one side and her on the other. "Me and you," she said.

"Yes, we may not be physically together for a while," he said. "But always together in our hearts."

"Thank you so much," she said. "I will always treasure it." She reached up and kissed him, gently. The gentleness gave way to passion and they started fervently making out again. The rest of the evening was punctuated by alternate bouts of kissing and talking.

His watch beeped. He groaned. It was time to take Cristina back to the restaurant for Garrett to pick her up. He was there, already waiting. Owen got out to walk her over to the Yangs' SUV. Somehow, even though she felt sad that they were going to be split apart, again. It didn't feel as bad as the last time. She felt more confident that they were going to be together. She gave him a kiss on the lips. There was going to be no tears this time.

"We'll be together, soon enough," Owen said, reassuringly.

"I know," she said and gave him a smile. She got into the SUV and as they drove off, she waved back at him. He waved back at her.

"You're a great big brother, Garrett," she told her brother.

"I know," he said. He grinned over at her. "So you had a great birthday night?"

"Awesome, the best," she said. She was wearing the chain with the diamond locket and her fingers instinctively reached for it. Somehow, she knew everything was going to be alright.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for leaving your thoughts; I do appreciate it.**


	27. Chapter 27 A Separate Existence

_**CRISTINA'S SOPHOMORE YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL**_

Cristina's sophomore year could best be described as the year that the stage was set for the rest of her high school career. She had gone back to school, feeling a little down because Owen and Garrett were no longer there. But, as she did, so many years before in grade school, she adjusted to their absence and settled down nicely with a circle of friends. She continued being in the drama club and snagged the lead in the fall production and the second lead in the spring production.

She tried out for cheerleading, only because Madeleine wanted to be a cheerleader. She only agreed because it seemed that Madeleine finally was coming out of her shell. Becoming a cheerleader could perhaps boost her up the popularity scale, which was something that Cristina didn't care much about but she went along anyway to support her friend.

As it turned out, Cristina was the better co-ordinated of the two and could tumble and flip like a champion. All those years of gymnastics paid off, as well as the years of ballet, tap and jazz because her superior dance ability made her stand out. She was the first person chosen for the squad, plus they also needed a small, light person that they could throw in the air, and Cristina fit the bill. When Cristina was chosen to be part of the squad and Madeleine was not, it caused a rift between the two friends. Madeleine did not speak to Cristina for a full two weeks, glowering at her across the cafeteria. Cristina could not take it, anymore and offered to quit the squad so they could be friends again. Madeleine was touched that her friend would give up being a cheerleader to remain her friend. So Madeleine told her that it was okay that she could continue being on the squad and that they could remain friends.

Being a cheerleader suddenly made Cristina popular. It was not something that she was used to. People, she didn't even know, knew her name. She was especially known as the girl they threw in the air at the football games. But just because she became popular didn't mean she left Madeleine behind. They were still the best of friends and ate lunch together in the lunchroom.

Cristina didn't date at all during her sophomore year. Though she was asked by several boys to go out with them, she just didn't feel like it. Somehow, sophomore and junior boys didn't compare to Owen. She always thought about him, when someone asked her out. She missed him so much.

_**OWEN'S FRESHMAN YEAR AT COLLEGE**_

Owen's freshman year at Northwestern was particularly hectic. For the first time in his life, he actually had to make his own decisions. He liked being his own man but sometimes, he still wished he had the counsel of his parents. He lived in the dorms and had a roommate named Bradley, a guy from Boulder, Colorado. Brad, as he preferred to be called, had a loud, outgoing personality and loved to party.

When Owen first moved into his room, he had a picture of Cristina next to bed. Brad had immediately asked about the girl in the picture, saying that she was pretty but looked rather young. "I am guessing she is still in high school, right?" Brad asked. Owen had nodded. He didn't know why but he felt embarrassed as if Brad was judging him because Cristina was so young.

Brad said, "There are so many cute girls around here, Owen. Girls, who are 18 and over, who don't have to worry about what their parents are saying. You shouldn't be bothering about some little girl in high school." Owen had initially left up Cristina's picture next to his bed but finally, he put it in a drawer when too many of Brad's friends kept asking questions about her. Instead, he carried a small picture of her in his wallet, so she was always with him.

In terms of socializing with the opposite sex, he didn't really date. Some of the girls from his classes, had been eyeing him, in the hopes that he would ask them out. But he didn't. He concentrated on his academics and playing for the Northwestern Wildcats. Since he was only a freshman, he was not the starting quarterback. That role belonged to a senior. He hoped that the coach would soon see how good he was in the position. In the meantime, he would just have to wait it out, until the senior graduated.

He thought about Cristina a lot, especially at night. She was so close in distance and yet so far, otherwise. He missed her so much.

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><p><em><strong>CRISTINA'S JUNIOR YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL<strong>_

By the time she started her junior year, Cristina, now 16, was firmly established as one of the popular kids because of her cheerleading duties. There was one thing that was different about her than the other popular girls. She wasn't dating and people found that was weird. She was a pretty girl and pretty girls usually get asked out. They didn't know the reason why she was not dating.

It was the first day of school and she was already late. This was not how she wanted to start her junior year. Her first class was English with Mrs. Guillen. She took in a deep breath, before she opened the door. Mrs. Guillen was introducing a new kid to the class. It was a boy with sandy brown hair.

"Ah, Miss Yang, thank you for gracing us with your presence, today," Mrs. Guillen said.

"I am sorry, Mrs. Guillen," Cristina said, sheepishly and found the closest empty seat she could find.

"Okay, then. As I was saying, this is a new student, Jordan Woods and he has transferred from Laguna Beach, California," Mrs. Guillen said. "I am looking for a volunteer to show Jordan around." Several girls put up their hands to volunteer since the new boy, Jordan, was a definite hottie. Cristina was not one of them; she was too busy trying to get herself in order, looking for her notebook and pen. Mrs. Guillen ignored all of the raised hands and looked around for someone, who hadn't volunteered. That was the way she operated. Cristina finally looked up; she had found her pen and was ready to start taking notes.

"Miss Yang," Mrs. Guillen called out.

"Yes, Mrs. Guillen," Cristina answered.

"I would like you to take Jordan around the school and show him around. Cristina is a popular girl, Jordan. She is a cheerleader and is very active in the drama club. I noted that Jordan likes drama, too," Mrs. Guillen said. The boy nodded.

"Me? I didn't put up my hand," she protested a little.

"That's why I am volunteering you, Cristina," Mrs. Guillen said. "Okay, Jordan, now that is settled. Just take that empty seat next to Cristina." Cristina groaned but not too loudly because she didn't want the boy to feel bad.

The sandy-haired boy sat down next to her and gave her a dazzling smile. He had very long lashes that rimmed his bright green eyes. Cristina had to admit that he was a good looking guy. She noted the envious glares of some of the girls in the class but she ignored them.

After class, Cristina turned to Jordan, "Let me see your schedule." He dug into his back pocket and handed it to her.

"It seems that you have math next with Mr. Forrester. So do I, so that one will be easy. Then you have Spanish and I have French. The classrooms are near each other, so I will take you to your classroom, on the way to mine," she said. "We will figure out the rest of the day, as we get to it."

"Thanks for your help," Jordan said. "I know she volunteered you."

"It's okay, Jordan," she answered. "It must be hard to change schools in Grade 11. You probably left all of your friends behind in Laguna Beach. Isn't that where they shot that reality series on the high school kids on MTV?"

"Yup, but that was way before my time," he replied. "That was my school, too."

"Yeah, but you left the beach and surfing to come to face the cold of Chicago," she said.

"I know. I loved the beach but my dad got a job here in Chicago. He is a senior vice president at a bank," Jordan said. "So we moved. My dad and mom. I have an older sister who is a senior and a younger sister who is a sophomore. So it has been hard on all of us."

"Okay, so this is math," Cristina said. "You can sit with me, if you want." The boy gave her another dazzling smile. "Yes, please," he said. He was rather pleased that Mrs. Guillen had placed him with this cute, tiny girl with the head of long, dark curls. He admired how her curls bounced as she walked.

Later that day, at lunchtime, she and Madeleine were sitting together, having lunch. She could sit with the other cheerleaders and the football players but she preferred being with Madeleine. Jordan came into the lunchroom and spotted Cristina's head of dark curls, immediately. He made a beeline to their table.

Madeleine noticed Jordan, immediately. He was tall and cute. "Hey, Cristina," he said. "Can I sit?"

"Sure, Jordan. This is my friend, Madeleine. Madeleine, this is Jordan, he's new. He moved from California," Cristina said. Jordan rested his tray down and grabbed a seat. He looked around and noticed the jocks and cheerleaders sitting together. "So that is the popular table?" he said. "It's the same, everywhere. How come you're not sitting there? Mrs. Guillen said you were popular and a cheerleader. Shouldn't you be sitting with them?"

"It's okay, I just prefer to sit with my friend, Madeleine. We've been together since grade school," Cristina said.

Jordan had a new appreciation for Cristina as she said that. A lot of girls would have left their grade school friend behind if they became popular in high school. "You're an awesome girl, Cristina Yang," he said. Cristina found herself blushing.

_**OWEN'S SOPHOMORE YEAR AT COLLEGE**_

Owen had got a job in the library at school. When he was hired, one of his duties was to help students navigate the library system, showing them how to find the book they were looking for in the system and where they could locate it. He helped many students on a daily basis.

Her name was Bethany. She was a 22-year-old brunette with a pixie hair cut. Her eyes were the same shade of dark brown as her hair. She spotted the blonde guy at the main circulation desk. He was rather handsome, she thought. Bethany was a senior and knew full well how to navigate the library system but she was going to use this an opportunity to introduce herself to the guy.

"Hi," she said, peering at his name tag. "Owen, can you help me? I need to find a book. Can you help me locate it?"

"Certainly," Owen replied. She handed him a piece of paper with the book's name. In a jiffy, he found it. "It looks like that book is out, right now. Do you want me to reserve it for you when it comes back in?"

"Yes, please," she said, smiling.

"Okay, just fill in this form with the name of the book and leave your email address and I will let you know when it comes in," he said, handing her a request form.

"Thank you," Bethany said, still smiling. She filled out the form and gave it to him.

"No problem," Owen said. Two days later, he sent her an email, indicating that the book had come in. Bethany showed up, looking a little more polished than she was, two days ago. Her make-up was flawless.

"Here's the book, Miss Smith," he said, handing her the book. She opened the book and rifled through the pages.

"Thank you, Owen. Please call me Bethany," she said, fluttering her eyes at him.

"Okay, Bethany. Do you wish to check that out?" he asked, wondering if something was wrong with her eyes.

"Yes, Owen," she said, blinking at him, again. He checked out the book for her. "Okay, you can bring that back in four weeks," he said.

Bethany had never been much to spend time in the library in the years that she was at Northwestern but she found herself there, more and more. She found out that the blonde was a sophomore and only 19 years old. Darn it, she thought. On the plus side, she did find out that he was the starting quarterback for the Wildcats, this year. She asked around to find out more about him. Some of the girls said they thought he was gay because he never asked any girls out. There was no way he could be gay, Bethany thought or so she hoped.

Owen noticed the girl with the pixie hair cut coming into the library, a lot. He always saw her when he was working his shift. He didn't think much about it. She always made it a point to smile and wave in his direction and he politely acknowledged her presence.

Bethany wondered what was wrong. She usually had guys falling all over her. Yet he seemed uninterested. She was a girl who loved a challenge. She was going to make Owen Hunt her own. This was going to be good, she thought.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. I always appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	28. Chapter 28 Junior Prom

"So you're not afraid that they're going to drop you when they throw you in the air?" Jordan asked. They had just been to one of the football games that saw the Mustangs winning against the Beavers. They were walking out of the football field, together.

"No, not really," Cristina answered. "I have been doing this, since last year. So I have gotten used to it. I was a little scared in the beginning but they have always caught me."

"Then, they put you at the top of the pyramid. That is so high," he said, admiringly.

"I am the lightest person, so I go to the top of the pyramid," she said. "The guys at the bottom are pretty strong to hold up all of the girls."

She stopped, as he headed to the parking lot. "Hey, how are you going to get home?" he asked.

"My dad is coming to pick me up," she said. "I just have to wait a bit."

"Well, tell your dad not to bother to come," he said. "I will take you home."

"You will? Thanks," Cristina said. "It is getting a little chilly. I love fall weather but the coolness in the air gets to me, sometimes. Let me give him a call." She called Stanley and told him that she was getting a ride, home. Mr. Yang was happy that he did not have to leave his warm, comfy house to get Cristina in this chilly weather.

She followed Jordan to his car and got into the front seat. As they drove, Jordan looked at her. He had noticed that there wasn't a guy hanging around her in school. He found that strange. She was a pretty and popular girl and therefore, she had to have been asked out on a date. He wanted to ask her out on a date. She had been pretty nice to him, ever since she took him around the school, that very first day.

When they got to her house, he said, "Nice house. I like the trellis out front with the flowers." Speaking of the trellis immediately reminded her of Owen and how he used to climb it to get to her bedroom.

"The trellis goes up to my bedroom window," she said, pointing it out.

He grinned. "Maybe you can use it to escape, sometime," he said, laughing.

"I have never tried," she said. "Thanks for the ride home. I thank you and my dad, especially, thanks you." As she got out of the car and started up the walkway, he called out to her, "Hey, Cristina, do you want to catch a movie, sometime?" She turned around and said, "Sure. I will see you at school on Monday." He waited until she opened her door and went in. He grinned to himself. He had asked her out on a date, without it actually sounding like a date.

On Monday, he saw her in English class. "Hey, there's that new movie with Ryan Gosling, opening this weekend. Do you want to catch that?" he asked, casually.

"Ryan Gosling. Ooh, he is a babe," she said. "Sure. Not Friday, we have an away game and you know the cheerleaders have to be there. So Saturday, then."

"Yup," he said. "I will pick you up at around seven." He was pleased that this was working out so well.

"Good," she said. "I have not been to the movies in a while."

So, that was how her relationship with Jordan started. It was most casual and then suddenly, she found herself seeing him every Saturday. By the time, it was Christmas, they were officially dating. Stanley and Helen were happy that Cristina was dating, again and not pining over Owen Hunt. She had spent her entire sophomore year, without a date. Stanley was just glad that she was dating a boy, her own age.

Jordan, for the most part, was a fun guy and she enjoyed dating him. However, there was one point on which they both disagreed. Jordan wanted to start having sex. On Valentine's Day, when he gave her his present, he asked whether they could do start doing it. She said no. He didn't say anything when he dropped her home but she could tell that he was peeved.

When Easter came around, he asked her again. He told her that he was the only one among his friends, who wasn't doing the deed with his girlfriend. She told him not to pressure her because she just wasn't ready. When he took her home that night, he told her if she wasn't ready for that, then maybe, it would be best if they were not together. "Are you breaking up with me?" she asked. "Well, what do you think?" he retorted. She got out of the car and watched him drive angrily, away.

She saw him in school and she thought he would speak to her. All he did was glare at her. So while they were having lunch at the cafeteria, she asked Madeleine, if everyone in the junior class had gone sex-mad. Madeleine averted her eyes.

"Oh my God, Madeleine, you too!" Cristina exclaimed. Madeleine nodded, sheepishly.

"Rory, right?" Cristina asked. "You did it with Rory. How many times?" Madeleine looked around before she answered. "Twice."

For all of her blustery outrage that she didn't know this before, Cristina was curious. "How was it?" she asked her friend.

"The first time was really awkward. We did it in his car. We kept jamming the car controls with our legs and arms," Madeleine said. "Definitely not sexy."

"So the second time was better?" Cristina whispered with a grin.

"Well, yeah, we both scraped up enough money to rent a room at the Red Parrot Motel for a couple of hours," Madeleine said.

"That place!" Cristina shrieked. She had heard about the reputation of the Red Parrot Motel.

"Well, it's not the best place but at least, it's clean and decent enough. Plus a lot of high school kids go there," Madeleine said. "It's what we can afford. Not everyone can splurge on a girl like Owen Hunt." Cristina blinked at the mention of Owen's name.

"Well, how was it?" Cristina asked.

"Much better, more comfortable," Madeleine said. "Plus we had the bathroom there to shower afterwards and freshen up."

Then Cristina asked the question that she really wanted to ask. "Did it hurt?"

"The first time, it did," Madeleine admitted. "I clenched up and it did hurt. I guess it was also because we were in the car. The second time was better. So nothing with Jordan?"

"No," Cristina said. "He broke up with me because he wanted to start sleeping with me and I said no."

"That's too bad," Madeleine said, shaking her head. "It just seems so important to these guys."

"Well, did you do it because Rory wanted you to do it, or because you wanted to do it?" Cristina asked.

"Well, we both wanted to do it," Madeleine said. "Both of you must want it."

"I am just not ready," Cristina admitted. Madeleine said, "Don't do it just because some guy is pressuring you, Cristina."

"Yeah, thanks," Cristina said. She looked at Jordan across the room. He was busily chatting with that busty blonde, Naomi Jenkins. He caught her eye but he looked away. Junior prom was coming up and she had heard that he had asked Naomi to the dance. She had hoped that he would have got over this whole sex thing and they would have gone to the junior prom as they had originally planned.

So, when Dewey Elliot, the running back on the football team, asked her to the junior prom, she said yes. She didn't know why she said yes. Maybe it was to prove to Jordan that she could get a date, even if he didn't want to take her to the prom. She didn't even like Dewey all that much, even though a lot of girls thought he was cute.

Since the junior prom was not as formal as the senior prom, the girls all wore shorter dresses. Her mom had helped her pick out a ruby red dress for the prom. Her mom had done her hair and make-up and when Dewey came to pick her up, he was delighted to see her looking so pretty. It was important for the guys to see him with a pretty girl and even better, she was a cheerleader.

When they got to the prom, they took their obligatory picture. Cristina found that Dewey was a little too handsy. They danced a lot of the night and Dewey was very attentive, bringing her drinks and snacks. She could see Jordan and Naomi there but she decided she was just going to ignore them. It wasn't possible to ignore later when Naomi was named junior prom queen. Cristina almost wanted to puke.

"Let's get out of here," Dewey whispered in her ear. "This place blows."

"Okay," Cristina said. She was ready to go home. But she was wrong, they weren't going home. Dewey pulled up and parked in front of the Red Parrot Motel.

"Wait a minute," she said. "What are we doing here?" She was alarmed that Dewey was thinking that she was going to sleep with him.

"I am getting a room for us," Dewey said, opening his door to go to the reception area.

"I am not going to have sex with you," Cristina said in a shocked tone.

"Why do you think that I have been so nice to you, all night?" he said, incredulous that she was thinking of turning him down.

"What?" Cristina said. "What? What does you being nice to me have to do with whether I am going to have sex with you?"

"So you're not going to do this, right?" he said, angrily.

"NO!" Cristina said.

"Then get out of my car," he said. "No wonder Jordan dumped you." In a state of disbelief, Cristina opened her car door and got out. Dewey drove off in a huff, his tires squealing as he sped out of the Red Parrot Motel compound.

Cristina felt like crying. She wondered how was she going to get home from here. There was no way she was going to call her dad. She could not allow him to see that a boy took her to this place. She couldn't call Jordan because after all, they were broken up and right now, he was busy with Naomi. She wished Garrett was here but he was far, far away in Pasadena, California. He would have come for her and kept his mouth shut about the whole situation. She didn't have money to call for a cab because she didn't think she would have needed any money. There was only one person she could call. She knew he would come, if she called.

She took a deep breath before she called him. She heard his sleepy voice say, "Hello."

"Hey, it's me," she said. She heard a sudden shuffling. "Cristina," he said, his voice now sounding like he was wide awake.

"I need your help," she said.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "I need for you to pick me up at the Red Parrot Motel," she said. "I am stranded here."

"Okay, I will be there," he said. "I am leaving now." What the hell was she doing at the Red Parrot Motel? Owen knew that a lot of high school kids frequented the motel when they wanted to have sex. He knew about that place when he was in high school but he had never been there.

Was Cristina having sex? He didn't even want to think about it. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and ran down the stairs to where his SUV was parked. After his first year, Owen had moved out of the dorms and had taken a one-bedroom apartment off campus. He preferred it to the dorms. He had more privacy with no more of his roommate's friends traipsing in at all hours of the night.

He drove quickly to see here there. He had not seen her since her 15th birthday. And now, it was 20 months later. She was dressed in a ruby-red dress and her hair was flowing down past her shoulders. She looked so beautiful, he thought. Cristina breathed a sigh of relief, when she saw the familiar SUV.

"Hi," she said, as he pulled up next to her.

"Get in," he said. She did as she was told. They drove in silence until they got to the lake. She knew he wanted to talk to her about this.

They watched the water for a while before he finally spoke. "What were you doing there, Cristina?"

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thank you for leaving your thoughts.**


	29. Chapter 29 Reunion

**A/N: This story turns slightly M for this chapter.**

* * *

><p>She glanced over at him, feeling a little ashamed. But he wasn't budging about asking his question.<p>

"I am serious, Cristina. I need an explanation, especially since I drove from Evanston to pick you up," he said. He needed to know, even though he was afraid of what she might say.

"My prom date took me there," she said. "He wanted me to have sex with him. I told him no." Owen breathed a sigh of relief. But he decided to press further.

"So, are you in the habit of allowing your dates to take you to the Red Parrot Motel?" he asked.

She looked a little taken aback. "Are you asking me if I have been sleeping with anybody?' she asked.

"Yes," he said, quietly.

"No, Owen, no. I have not been sleeping with anybody," she said, a little peeved that he would ask her that.

"But you have been dating?" he said.

"Yes," she admitted. "I have only dated one other guy, other than my idiotic prom date. His name is Jordan. I dated him for most of junior year."

"So he was your boyfriend?" Owen said, trying to keep his voice steady. He couldn't believe he was bringing himself to say the words, "your boyfriend."

"Yes, I guess you can call him that," Cristina said, staring at her fingernails.

"If you didn't go to prom with him, I guess this means that you broke up," Owen probed a little more.

"Yes, we broke up at Easter. He had been pressuring me to have sex," Cristina said. "And since I didn't oblige, he said it made no sense that we were together and he broke up with me."

The more she spoke, the more Owen's mind was put at ease. She was not having sex. The thought of her being with another guy, drove him crazy.

"So what happened with your prom date, tonight?" he asked.

"My prom date was Dewey Elliot. I should have known that he was an idiot with a first name like that," Cristina said. "I am ashamed I said yes to him, when he asked me out. Dewey is the running back on the football team. And the only reason I said yes was to prove to Jordan that I could get a date for the prom. That's because he asked that girl with the big boobs to the prom, Naomi. Worse yet, Miss Big Boobs was named junior prom queen. Can you believe that crap?" The words all came out in a flood. Owen was greatly amused by it. He wanted to laugh but he knew she would have been offended if he did.

She continued, "So when they announced that, I couldn't stick around for more of that rubbish, so when Dewey said we were leaving, I was more than happy to leave. Then, he took us to the Red Parrot and said he was going to get us a room. I told him that I wasn't going to sleep with him. Then he said that was the only reason he was being nice to me, all night. Since I wasn't going to sleep with him, he just left me there. I have to say my junior prom experience totally sucked." She seemed defeated. "What is wrong with teenage boys, Owen? All they want to do is have sex."

Owen grinned. "I am still a teenage boy, myself. I am just 19," he said. "I don't want to just have sex." She gave him a quizzical look.

"Have you been having sex, Owen?" she asked. "I mean, I don't know what is going on at Northwestern. I know you college folk have a lot of sex."

He looked slightly wounded, when she said that. "If you are asking if I have been sleeping around, the answer to that is no. But it's not like I haven't had the opportunity. I have been propositioned several times but I have never given in. In fact, there was one girl named Bethany who was very persistent."

"Bethany?" Cristina squeaked back.

"Yes, she is a senior. Twenty two. Quite cute. Dark brown hair and brown eyes," Owen said. He knew he was alarming Cristina with every word he said. He was amused by the changes in her facial expressions.

"Twenty two?" Cristina said, quietly.

"Yes, so one day, I decided to have a coffee date with her. Very non-committal," Owen said.

"Coffee shop?" Cristina whimpered.

"Yes," he said. "Just off-campus. A lot of students go there. We actually had a very good conversation. By the end of the date, she pretty much knew where my heart was."

"Why?" Cristina replied, softly.

"Because when I went to pay for the coffee, your picture fell out of my wallet. She saw it and I guess that was when she knew that she didn't have a chance," he said.

"You carry my picture?" she said, smiling.

"Yes, I do. I have carried your picture since my freshman year," he said. "Take a look." He pulled out the picture and showed her.

"Not that picture! I look like I am 12. I actually have ponytails in this picture," she said, touching the picture.

"Well, you don't look much older than that, right now," he said. "Plus you're still beautiful." She smiled back, shyly at him.

"I have missed you, Owen," she said, as she reached over and held his hand.

"Really? How is that so? You're the one who's dating," he said, pretending to be a little miffed.

"Well, you never said I couldn't date. Plus I didn't date my entire sophomore year. Lots of boys asked me out and I didn't feel like it because of you," she said. "You've ruined me for other guys."

"If I have ruined you for other guys, what made you decide to date this Jordan guy?" he asked.

"Well, it started all casual like friends. Then we began going out every Saturday and then it was just like we were dating," she said. "But then he wanted sex and then it went all awry."

"So why didn't you want to have sex with him?" he said. "Not that I want you to have sex with him."

"I think because it just didn't feel right," she said. "I mean, other than the sex thing, Jordan was a fun guy. I guess he wanted more than I was willing to give him. And I definitely was not going to have sex with Dewey. I mean, we only had one date and he wants me to put out. What was he smoking?"

"Honestly, I am glad to hear this," he said. "The thought of you being with another guy just makes me feel sick on the inside."

"Do you want to kiss me? It has been a long time," she said.

"Yeah," he said, as he reached over and took her face into his hands, as he covered her mouth with his own. He hungrily nibbled on her lips as their tongues became reacquainted with each other. "You taste good," he said. "Do you want to go in the back seat?" She nodded.

They climbed in the back and started a hot and heavy make-out session. She held his head, as he kissed her all over her neck and shoulders. She knew she was getting really wet down there. He was the only boy that did this to her. Kissing Jordan never turned her on like this. She could feel his hand going up her skirt, as he caressed the satiny smoothness of her legs. He was getting so turned on that he wanted to take a little further than they ever had before.

He stopped and looked at her. "I am going to touch you there," he said. "But that is all we're going to do. Do you want that?" She nodded. He helped her slip off her panties. He looked at the red, lacy panties. "Nice."

"Thanks, I got it from Victoria's Secret," she said. "Mom doesn't know I own these. She thinks all I have are cotton panties."

He grinned as he put his hand under her dress and found her sex. His thumb found her clit and started to gently rub. His fingers found her center and he stroked the entrance, working it up until she got wetter and wetter. He looked into her eyes, as he slipped a finger inside of her. She gasped at its feel. As he plunged his fingers over and over into her, she closed her eyes and just let the pleasure of it envelop her. She didn't quite understand the way her body was responding as her breaths became shallower. She shuddered as she experienced an orgasm for the first time. She opened her eyes and looked at his blue eyes. He was grinning at her. "Did you like it?" he asked.

"So that is what it feels like?" she said, straightening herself up. "Oh, no wonder what people want to do this and more."

"Well, we are not going to do more than that, right now," he said. He took his hand from under his dress and licked his fingers. She found that was such a turn on.

He looked at his watch. "Oh my God, it is way past your curfew."

"My curfew is an hour and a half later now than when I was 14. But tonight, the curfew was waived since it was junior prom night," she said. "If my dad knew about all of the things that happened tonight, he would have a fit."

"Still, let me take you home," he said. "I think we did enough exploring for one night." She slipped on back her panties and they climbed back into the front seats of the SUV.

He drove her home and as they parked in front of her house. "Well, here we are," he said. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I don't want to say goodbye, again," she said. "I want to be with you. I am tired of these stupid high school boys."

"Me, too. Seeing you again has opened up all of these feelings, again," he said. "I want to continue seeing you, again."

"What are we going to do?" she said.

"I mean, you're older, now. Are you willing to defy your father to continue seeing me?" he asked. He knew it would take a lot out of Cristina to cross her father.

She stayed silent for a bit. She let out a big breath, before she finally said, "Yes. I want to see you. You are the best boy for me. I know that. No stupid boy can compare to you."

"Okay, I want to see you, too," he said. "We are going to have to do a little bit of sneaking around. I have finals coming up, so it's no good, right now. So maybe during the summer, we can see each other."

"Yes," she said. "All summer long. What Dad doesn't know, can't hurt him."

"Okay, it is settled," he said. He reached over and kissed her. "We're getting back together."

He watched her get out of the car and made sure she was safely inside before he drove away. His heart was full of joy, as he drove to his parents' house. It didn't make any sense to drive to Evanston, right now, so he was going to spend the rest of the night in his old bedroom. He tiptoed up the stairs so he wouldn't wake his parents. He went to bed that night, feeling a lot happier than he had been in months.

He woke up the next morning to find his mom and dad, standing over him.

"Good morning, sleepy-head," Lana said. "Did you sneak in the house, last night?"

"Yes," Owen said, yawning.

"We went downstairs this morning and didn't even know you were here. It was only when I went out to get the Sunday paper on the lawn, that I saw your car in the driveway," George said. "What are you doing home? Please don't tell me you're flunking out of college and have come back to sponge off on your poor parents."

Owen laughed. "No, dad, I am not flunking. I have finals next week, so I haven't flunked as yet. Just thought I would come and visit the folks. I will drive back to Evanston, today."

"Always good to see you, Owen," his mom said, kissing him on the forehead. "Come on down, I have got breakfast ready."

"Okay," Owen said, as he watched his parents leave his bedroom. "Be down in a few minutes." He stretched and looked around the room. His mom had never changed the room, since he left for Northwestern, a little under two years ago. He had been back there, last summer and for the holidays, but this was the first time he realized that everything he did in high school was still up. His sporting trophies were up, as well as pictures from the drama productions in which he starred. Next to his bed was the picture that he got from Cristina of him and her embracing during the Romeo and Juliet production.

His phone beeped, indicating he had a text message. He opened the text, "I love you," he read. He knew it was from Cristina. He texted back, "I love you more." It was going to be a great day.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to leave your thoughts.**


	30. Chapter 30 Experimenting

**A/N: This chapter has mature content.**

Cristina wanted to broach this topic with her mom, as soon as possible. It was going to be now or never, she thought. It was the first Saturday of the summer break and they were having a hearty breakfast. It was just the three of them – Cristina and her parents.

"Mom," Cristina said. Helen looked up from reading the paper, "Yes, baby."

"I was thinking that I would like to get an appointment at the gynecologist," Cristina said. She hoped she was not giving away her true intent on why she wanted to go to the gynecologist. At the sound of the word, "gynecologist," Stanley covered his ears and began humming.

Helen sighed. She was used to Stanley feeling uncomfortable when it came to discussing women health issues. At the births of their two children, Stanley had originally insisted on being in the delivery room, before promptly fainting and then being wheeled out of there.

"Why do you want to go?" Helen asked. "Are you having any problems?"

"No, mom," Cristina responded. "I thought it may be time to get a check-up at the gynecologist. After all, I am 16 years old, now and I want to establish a relationship with a doctor. I am growing up and there are things that I may want to discuss with the gynecologist that I don't feel comfortable, discussing with my pediatrician."

"Okay," Helen said. "I will get you an appointment next week." She took her husband's hands off his ears. "It is safe, now. You can stop humming." She shook her head at him. Stanley gave his wife a cheeky grin.

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><p>The next week, Cristina and her mom went to visit Dr. Patricia Rosewall, Helen's gynecologist. The receptionist called out her name, "Cristina Yang, go to Exam Room 2." Cristina got up and so did Helen. "No, Mom," Cristina said. "I have to do this alone. I am 16 years old." Helen nodded and sat back down in her chair.<p>

Cristina went to the exam room and changed into the dressing gown. She was a little nervous. Dr. Rosewall came in and introduced herself and started examining Cristina. "So you're 16, Cristina." Dr. Rosewall was in her late thirties with coppery brown hair and amber-colored eyes. Cristina found that she reminded her of a lioness. After the examination, Dr. Rosewall asked Cristina to dress and follow her into her office. She did so and quickly found herself on the other side of the desk.

"So, Cristina, everything seems to be fine for a teenage girl like yourself," Dr. Roberts said. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes," Cristina said, quietly. "I want to go on birth control."

Dr. Rosewall looked at Cristina's chart. "It says here that you are not sexually active."

"I am not," Cristina said. "But I am thinking of becoming sexually active."

"Oh," the doctor said. "I am guessing that your mother doesn't know about this."

"No, do you have to tell her?" Cristina asked, a little alarmed.

"No," Dr. Rosewall said. "I am going to give you three months' supply. Now I want you to read the literature carefully. There shouldn't be too many side effects with this particular brand. It should be effective after seven days. I will give you a script for the rest of the year."

"Okay," Cristina said, shoving the literature, the pills and the prescription into her purse, to ensure that Helen did not see them.

"Cristina, I have to remind you that the pills do not protect against STDs and HIV. If you are not sure about a boy, he should use a condom," the doctor said. Cristina nodded. "Cristina, I am glad that you are being responsible about birth control. But I hope a boy isn't pressuring you into having sex. You do have the right to say no."

"No, Dr. Rosewall," Cristina said. "That's not the case."

"Okay, good," the doctor said. "If you are having any problems with this one, give the office a call and we can change it to a different type."

"Thanks, Dr. Rosewall," Cristina said.

"That's fine, Cristina," the doctor said. Cristina left the office, Helen paid the co-pay and they left the office. "How was it?" Helen asked her daughter, as they left the doctor's office.

"It was fine, mom," Cristina said, clutching her bag, rather tightly. "Just fine." Helen nodded and said, "Good."

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><p>After finals, Owen started his usual summer job at his dad's company. He no longer worked in the mailroom. Last summer, he worked in the accounting department. While he appreciated what they did, it was not his cup of tea. This summer, he was working in human resources.<p>

"So, Owen, you've just finished your sophomore year at Northwestern?" his supervisor, Melanie asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Owen said. "Starting junior year, next semester."

"So, call me Melanie. We will be working together, all summer," the brown-haired, bespectacled woman said. "So you have a girlfriend at Northwestern?"

"I have a girlfriend," Owen admitted. "But she doesn't go to school at Northwestern."

"Ah, she goes to another college?" Melanie said. "These long distance relationships must be hard. But I guess you will be seeing her this summer."

"Yes," Owen said, happily. "All summer long." He didn't bother to correct Melanie's notion that his girlfriend was a college girl. He couldn't very well tell this woman that his girlfriend just finished her junior year of high school and was only 16 years old.

"Ah, good for you," Melanie said. "Let's see what we can teach you, today."

"Yes, ma'am," Owen said, giving the older woman the sweetest of smiles.

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><p>Garrett was not coming home for the summer, much to his parents' chagrin. He had gotten an internship in Silicon Valley and was very excited about it. That meant that Cristina was the only child at home, therefore, earning herself the full scrutiny of her parents. "Just great," she thought, silently cursing her older brother. If he had been home, he would have taken the heat off from her, since they would be fussing over him. She and Owen had to be really sneaky, now, if they were to see each other during the summer.<p>

So, she and Madeleine devised a pact where they would cover for each other. Anytime Cristina wanted to go out with Owen, she would tell her parents that she was going out with Madeleine. Whenever Madeleine wanted to spend the night with Rory at the Red Parrot Motel, she was going to tell her parents that she was having a sleepover at Cristina's house. If they kept their stories straight, their parents would be none the wiser. The girls shook hands on it and it was working, quite well. Helen remarked to Cristina that she was spending a lot of time with Madeleine and that it was a good thing to have great female bonding time with her friend. Cristina enthusiastically agreed.

When Owen showed up to pick up Cristina, he never went directly to her house as he would park two driveways away. He would text her that he was there and she would make a swift exit out of the house. They did the usual things like going to the movies or dinner or concerts and most times, they would end up at the lake, where they would do some experimenting. They would always start off kissing which led to pushing the envelope and doing a little bit more.

When they got to the lake, very little was said as they would climb in the back seat to make out. Eventually, making out would give way to a much more passionate exchange between the two of them. He graduated from using his fingers on her to utilizing his mouth and tongue, as he sucked and licked his way in pleasuring her. Cristina now fully understood why everyone liked sex so much. Even though they had not gone fully all of the way, the time, she knew, was coming.

Owen was learning as much as Cristina about how their bodies responded to each other. His own sexual experience was limited to the single encounter when he was 16 years old and had that one night stand with that college girl. That encounter was more in the order of "slam, bam, thank you ma'am", making it such an unsatisfying experience. Though he had several opportunities to have sex since then, he never ventured into accepting any of them. That was because he knew he was always waiting for Cristina. Somehow, it would not have been fair to become intimate with a girl when he knew that his heart belonged to someone else.

Since he had been giving her great pleasure, Cristina insisted that she give him a blow job. She didn't tell him that she and Madeleine had assiduously researched it on the Internet, finding a porn site and watching it online in great fascination. Much giggling had ensued as they examined the techniques. They had both been avid students and were willing to test out their newly-learned techniques on their respective partners. Owen had grinned, mischievously, when she made the suggestion. "Go ahead, do your damage," he said, as he unzipped his pants. He really wasn't expecting much, since he knew she had never done that before. She gave him a wicked look as she pulled out his already aroused cock from his underwear.

As she slipped his member into her mouth, she bopped down on it, using her tongue and her lips with incredible ease. He was more than surprised by the eagerness of her mouth on him and he found himself unable to stop himself from thrusting into her mouth. She worked on him, like if she was a pro at it, sucking greedily on him. When he came in her mouth, she realized that she really was not a pro at this. What was she going to do? Spit it out? Nah, that was too gross. So she swallowed it.

As she raised her head from off of him, she wiped the side of her mouth. As much as he enjoyed it, he was a little disturbed. How could she know how to do that? He knew she hadn't had intercourse but he wondered if she had performed oral sex before.

"Cristina," he said, softly. "How did you know how to do that?" She looked suddenly embarrassed at his question.

"Do you really need to know that?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"I did some research," she said. "Research?" he repeated, becoming more agitated.

"Yes," she nodded. "Madeleine and I went on a porn site and watched several videos. They were very informative. We took copious notes." She was so serious when she said it that he wanted to guffaw. He was so relieved that this was the way she learned how to do it. It was so Cristina to approach the whole process like if she was researching a project.

"Was it good?" she asked. He reached for her and pulled her close. "Yes, very good," he said, as he kissed her on her forehead. "Did you swallow?"

"Yes," she said in a small voice. "I didn't know what else to do." He chuckled, as he said, "Oh, Cristina."

They lay there, until it was time to take her home. As usual, he parked two driveways away from her house and let her out. He reached over to kiss her goodnight but she turned to him to stop him.

"Owen, I am ready to do it," she said. "Do what?" he asked.

"I am ready to go all of the way," she said. "I want to feel you inside me. I am not 14 anymore. I want to do this. I want to be with you."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Surer than ever," she replied. "I even got my mom to take me to the gynecologist to get birth control." He looked into her eyes and finally said, "Okay."

"I want to do it for your birthday," she said. "When you turn 20." He nodded. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He was elated that she was ready.

On his 20th birthday, he picked her up and drove them to a four-star hotel, where he had booked a room. It cost him quite a sum of money but it was going to be worth it. He was not going to take her to some fleabag motel like the Red Parrot. He wanted their first time together to be really, really special. It had to be a night for both of them to remember.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for leaving your thoughts.**


	31. Chapter 31 First time

**A/N: This chapter has mature content.**

* * *

><p>"Go and sit on the couch in the lobby. Try to look unobstrusive," Owen told Cristina. He was quite aware of the very youthful look of his girlfriend, who looked younger than her 16 years. He was nervous about that, in case anyone asked them any questions.<p>

She nodded and did as she was told. Owen went to the reception desk to check in.

"Owen Hunt," he said. The front desk clerk immediately went on the computer to locate the reservation.

"Ah, here we go," he said. "ID and credit card for incidentals." Owen handed over his driver's license and his credit card. He looked around at Cristina, who was trying to look unnoticeable.

"Thank you, Mr. Hunt," the clerk said, handing him back his ID and credit card. "Here is your room key." Owen looked at the card. Their room was 517.

"Is there a king-size bed in the room?" Owen asked.

"Yes," the clerk said. "Those were your instructions when you booked." The clerk gave him a questioning look.

"Thank you," Owen said. "Can we still get room service?"

"Yes," the clerk said. "Room service will be available until 11 p.m. Will that be acceptable?"

"Yes," Owen said. "Thank you very much." He headed to the elevator and gave Cristina the eye for her to follow him. Thankfully, the elevator came as soon as he pressed the call button.

They stepped inside and when the doors closed, they both giggled. "Glad that was over," Owen said. "I was so nervous that they were going to notice how young you look."

When they got to Room 517, they both gasped about how lovely the room was. "This is a gorgeous room, Owen," Cristina said. He was pleased that the room looked exactly like what was on the hotel's website.

"Yes, it is," he said, as he closed the door behind them. "Are you hungry? I am going to order room service." He grabbed the menu from the bedside table and handed it to her. "Order what you want." She took a look. "Ooh, these prices are high," she said.

"It's okay," he said. "It is in my budget." She didn't want to break his budget and she ordered chicken sanwiches with salad for the both of them. Besides, the picture of the sandwich looked good, she thought. As she hung up the phone, they looked at each other. Neither of them really knew what they should do next. It just suddenly felt awkward because they both knew that the sole reason for booking this room was that they had planned to have sex. Owen put on the television and a movie was on. It was Sleepless in Seattle.

"This is one of my favorite movies," Cristina declared as she got herself comfortable on the bed. "Me, too," he said, joining her. They both started getting into the movie when there was a knock on the door. Owen got up and got their food from room service, giving the guy a good tip. The waiter grinned because he could see the guy's girlfriend in the room. He knew the young man wanted not to seem like a cheapskate. "Thank you, sir," he said.

"Here we go," Owen said, as he handed Cristina a tray. He sat down next to her and they both started munching on their sandwiches and continued watching the movie. When the movie ended, Owen removed their service trays and placed them on the table.

"I am going to use the bathroom, now," he said. "Unless you want to go first." She told him to go ahead. He went into the bathroom, changed into a pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, brushed his teeth thoroughly and rinsed with some mouthwash. Satisfied that his breath was minty fresh, he stepped out. "You can go ahead, now." She picked up her overnight bag and went into the bathroom. Owen got into the bed and waited. He wondered if he should take off his t-shirt. Maybe he was wearing too much clothes, he thought. He took off his t-shirt and got under the covers and waited for her. Ten minutes later, she came out. She was wearing a white baby-doll nightgown that she had bought specifically for this day. Her hair was all brushed out and looked lush and full, as it fell down past her shoulders. She was so nervous and her heart was beating extremely fast. His heart skipped a beat, when he saw her.

"You are lovely," he said. She gave him a nervous smile. He put out his hand for her to come. She got into the bed, next to him. He pulled her closer and took her face into his hands, as he gently kissed her. Their kisses continued and deepened as he found his hands under her nightgown to feel her small breasts. His thumbs rubbed her nipples and he could feel them hardening under his fingers. He could feel himself, stiffening under his pjs and he longed to get rid of the constrictions of his clothing. "Let's just take these off," he said, pulling off his pjs and his underwear in one swift move. He helped her with her nightgown over her head and slipped off her underwear. This was the first time that she was actually fully naked in front of him. He ran his hands over her body, marveling at the silky smoothness of her skin, as he pulled her again in for a kiss. He then left a trail of kisses down her body until he found her sexual center. There, he used his tongue and his mouth to pleasure her. Her tiny body shuddered as he skilfully used his tongue to penetrate her over and over again.

Between breaths, she managed to squeak out, "I think I am ready." He looked up at her, "You are?" Her rose up to kiss her, as he felt how wet and slippery she was under his fingers.

"Okay," he said, as he kissed her. "Just relax." I'm relaxed, she thought, more relaxed than I will ever be, after what you just did to me. As he went on top of her, he pushed her legs apart. He entered her, gently until he got all of the way in. He watched her expression change, as he penetrated her and her walls snugly encircled him. All she said was "wow." He started moving slowly, so she would get comfortable with it but he knew she had got used to it, when she surprised him by grabbing his buttocks and pushing him towards her.

"You like that?" he asked. "Yes," she answered, breathlessly. "I want more." He found himself wanting to come because she was so tight and it felt so good so he slowed down a bit. He wanted her to come first. It was more important that she come first, he thought.

"No," she screamed. "Faster, Owen, faster." He did as he wished and he hoped he wouldn't come before she did. To his relief, she came before him, screaming his name and digging into his back with her fingers. Only then did he allow himself the luxury of coming, too. He lay on her, as they both caught their breaths. This was so much more different than when he was with that college girl. That time, he had felt nothing. This time, he truly understood the meaning of making love. The joy that he felt at the union of their bodies was incomparable. It was as if they had become one being.

He pushed himself up and looked at her face, stroking her cheek. "Did you like it?" he asked.

"No," she whispered.

"What?" he was taken aback when she said that. Those were not the words he expected to hear from her lips. She grinned at him, cheekily. "I didn't like it. I loved it. I have never felt like this before in my life. It was as if my body was screaming in pleasure."

He laughed. "Oh, you really had me there," he said. "I am so glad that you loved it." He rolled off her and held her close. They were both silent for a bit. He wondered what she was thinking.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked. She put out her hand. "What?" he asked. "What do you want?"

"You said 'penny for your thoughts', I was just putting out my hand for my penny before I told you," she said, laughing.

"You're too funny," he said. "I know," she replied, giggling.

"Well, tell me," he said.

"I was wondering how many times a night can you do that," she said, with a chuckle.

"You know I can only find that out if we try," he said, as he pulled her on top of him as they started kissing again.

* * *

><p>The next morning, he dropped her off, as usual, two driveways away. She had changed into a jeans and a t-shirt. When she got inside, her mom was already up and was making breakfast.<p>

"So how was your sleepover at Madeleine's?" her mom asked.

"Fun, mom, we spent a lot of the night, just talking," Cristina replied. She didn't look directly at her mom because she knew she was lying.

"That's good, honey," her mom said. "Want some French toast?"

"Yes," Cristina said, as she and her mom sat down for breakfast, together.

* * *

><p>Owen and Cristina continued to spend the rest of the summer, together. Most of the time, they ended up making love. Since Owen couldn't really afford to go to a fancy hotel all of the time, they found themselves driving to Evanston to his apartment. His dad was continuing to pay the rent for the apartment during the summer, so Owen would not have to find a new place, when the fall semester began. It turned out to be particularly fortunate, Owen thought. They would go to the apartment and drive back, so Cristina would make it in time for her curfew. They had planned to go back to the fancy hotel when it was Cristina's 17th birthday. Owen was saving up for that time but in the meantime, they would just go to his apartment.<p>

When her birthday came around, Owen took her out for dinner and then, they checked into the hotel. It was a different hotel but just as luxurious as the first one. They spent the night, alternately making love and then sleeping and then getting up back again and doing it again. Tonight, Cristina had told her parents that she was going over to Madeleine's house for another "sleepover." She had told Madeleine, who also said that she was planning to spend the night with Rory. So Madeleine had told her parents that she was going to over to Cristina's place for a "sleepover." They both laughed at the coincidence.

"Have a good time," Cristina said. "You, too," Madeleine replied. "And happy birthday."

"I intend to have a happy birthday," Cristina had told her, before she hung up the phone.

It was early morning when Owen dropped her off at her house, the day after her birthday. She was feeling pretty darn tired, since they had spent more time making love than sleeping. It had been an excellent night with the dinner, the awesome presents and then, going to the hotel for the night. School was starting in a bit and it was a good way to end the summer before she started her senior year.

She closed the door, quietly and was heading up the stairs to take a nap. She was stopped in her tracks when she heard her father's voice. "Cristina," he said. She could recognize from the tone that he was not a happy man. She looked around and saw both her parents in the living room. Both of them looked very annoyed.

"So how was your sleepover at Madeleine's last night?" Stanley asked, his voice continuing in that severe tone.

"Fine," Cristina said, quietly. She couldn't say anymore because she greatly suspected that her lie was about to be exposed.

"Really?" Stanley said. "I know for a fact that you were not at Madeleine's house, last night, so don't lie to me."

"Oh," Cristina said. She didn't know what else to say. It was clear that she was going to get blasted for the lie.

"And what is this?" Stanley said, as he showed an item he had in his hand. She peered at it and knew exactly what it was. It was an empty package of her birth control pills. Cristina was totally busted.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thanks for leaving your thoughts.**


	32. Chapter 32 Facing the Music

Cristina came back down the stairs. Though she knew she was in deep trouble, she was miffed that her parents had been going through her room.

"How did you get that?" she asked. Her father gave her a withering stare.

"I got that from your room. Your mom and I decided to be nice to you and clean up your room for your 17th birthday. She took your laundry to wash and I decided to empty your wastebasket in your bathroom and this is what I found," he said. "This empty package of birth control pills. Now you can't deny to us that these are not yours because they were in your wastebasket." It pained Stanley to say that, given his aversion to all things dealing with women health issues.

"Have you been having sex?" Helen asked.

"What do you think, mom?" Cristina said, a little defiantly. "I have birth control pills. So yes, I am." Her father gasped. He could hardly think of his daughter as having sex. In his mind, she was still his little girl.

"And who have you been having sex with? Is he the boy that you spent the night with? We know that you weren't at Madeleine's house because after we found the empty package, we called over there to talk to you. It seems that we were not the only ones fooled because Madeleine's parents thought that she was over at our house for a sleepover," Stanley said. Cristina cringed because she knew that meant that Madeleine was in deep trouble just as she was.

"Yes," she answered, simply. It was true that the boy she was sleeping with was the one she had spent the night with.

"Who is this boy?" her father asked. "Are you back with that Jordan boy? Didn't you break up with him at Easter? Or are you seeing that Dewey something or the other – the one you went to junior prom with?"

"No, it is not either of them but it is somebody you know," she said, quietly.

Then, it dawned on Helen. "Owen Hunt? You've been seeing Owen Hunt?"

Cristina nodded. Stanley turned red in the face and it looked like he was going to blow his top. "You are seeing Owen Hunt after I told you that you could not see him anymore? You decided to defy me! How long has this been going on?"

"Since junior prom. And, dad, Owen has been the best. When Dewey something or the other stranded me at the Red Parrot Motel because I didn't want to sleep with him, Owen drove from Evanston to pick me up," she said.

"What? Dewey tried to make you have sex with him?" her father said, flabbergasted. He didn't even know these things were going on. "And Owen? Did he try to force you, too?"

"Of course not, Dad," Cristina said. "Owen has always waited for me, until I was ready. When I knew I was ready, I decided to be responsible about it and get birth control. You should be proud of me that I took that step and not burden this family with a teen pregnancy." Her father did not know what to say about that.

"Is that the reason that you wanted to go to the gynecologist at the start of summer?" Helen asked. "No wonder you didn't want me to go in with you." Cristina nodded.

Stanley stared at his daughter. She had never defied him in her life, before. He could not believe it.

"Whether you have been responsible is not the issue, the problem here is that you have spent the entire summer, sneaking around and lying to us and being with a boy that you were not supposed to see anymore. That is a case of total defiance. That is not the little girl I raised," Stanley shouted. Cristina was taken aback. Her father rarely ever shouted and to have him yell at her like that was not something she was used to.

"Dad, what you failed to realize is that I am no longer a little girl. I am almost grown up. I am 17 years old and next year, I will be away at college when I won't have your rules and regulations," she screamed back.

"How dare you raise your voice at me, young lady? You may be almost grown-up but you are not fully grown-up as yet. You are still living under my roof and I take care of all of your expenses. Till the day you move out of this house, you still have to abide by my rules," Stanley shouted. He lowered his voice but it was still deadly in its tone. "Now go to your room and let your mother and me figure out your punishment."

Cristina was angry, so she stomped up the stairs to her room, slamming her door as she got in. She threw herself on her bed and screamed. Hot tears were rolling down her face. How dare they treat her like if she was a little girl? For goodness sake, she was 17 years old. She was not 14 anymore and they couldn't rule her life anymore. She screamed again.

She picked up her phone and called Madeleine, who answered the phone in a teary voice. "You, too, huh?" Cristina whispered to her friend.

"Yes," Madeleine's voice sounded broken on the other end. "They shouted at me and told me how disappointed they were in me because I have been lying to them."

"Yeah, me too. My dad gave me the 'this is my house and my rules' speech," Cristina said. "I am afraid they won't want to let me see Owen, again. I don't think I can handle that."

"They've grounded me for two months. I can't go anywhere – not to the mall, no football games, no dates," Madeleine said. "What about you?"

"I think mine is going to be worse," Cristina replied. "He actually has to think about it before deciding on what is my punishment. It just sucks being a teenager."

"Tell me about it," Madeleine said. "I gotta go. I hear my mom calling me. I think they want to yell at me, some more. Bye."

After she hung up the phone, she got a sudden urge to get away from her parents and from the house. She packed a couple of t-shirts and underwear in her knapsack. She stuffed her wallet in the pocket of her knapsack. How was she going to get out of the house, especially since her parents would be watching her every move? She knew exactly what to do. She opened her window and started climbing down the trellis. She never had done this before, so she was a little scared. She breathed a sigh of relief when she made it down to the ground in one piece. She really didn't know where she was going. She walked until she found an ATM, withdrew some money and headed to the bus station. At the station, she stared at all of the destinations and decided to go to the one place she had always loved. She bought a ticket, boarded the bus and headed to the lakeside town her family used to visit when she was a little girl.

It was already in the afternoon by the time she got to the town, she was hungry, so she grabbed some lunch at a restaurant in town. People stared at the small girl, sitting alone, having her lunch. While Cristina knew she was 17, from her exterior, people often thought she was much younger and it looked strange that this young girl was eating alone. Her family did not seem to be anywhere around.

After her meal, she wandered around the town, reminiscing about the times she, Garrett and Owen had running about the place. She thought about calling Owen, so she sat down on a park bench and started digging in her knapsack for her phone. It was then she realized that she had forgotten her phone on her bed. She groaned, loudly.

It was getting near to sunset when she found herself on the pier near the lakehouse which her family used to rent. She sat on the edge of the pier and stared out at the water. She remembered that this was where she and Owen had shared their first kiss. She sighed. Why couldn't her dad see that she and Owen were meant to be? She was still deep in the thoughts, when she heard the voice of the boy.

"Hey," he said. She looked around to see a blonde boy around 12 behind her.

"Hey," she replied and gave him a smile. The boy came and sat down next to her. He greatly reminded her of when Owen was a boy.

"I haven't seen you around here before," the boy said.

"Well, today is my first day here. I haven't been here in years," she said. "What's your name?"

"I am Shawn," he said. "And your name is….?"

"Cristina," she said. "Spelt without an 'h' in it." She always hated when people spelled her name wrong, so she always mentioned that it did not have an 'h.'

"That's a pretty name," Shawn said. "Where is your family staying?"

"My family is not around," Cristina admitted. "I am here by myself." The boy looked shocked at that because the girl did not look like she could be more than 14.

"So where are you going to sleep, tonight?" he asked, a little worried that the girl had nowhere to go.

"I thought I could take a room at the inn in town," she said. The boy looked doubtful that the inn would allow such a young girl to take a room by herself. He got up and said, "Come on. It is going to be dinner, soon. Come and join my family at the house."

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?" she asked, folllowing him.

"No, they always like company," Shawn assured her. They walked up to the door of the very familiar lakehouse where Shawn opened the front door. "Mom, Dad, I found this girl on our pier. I invited her to dinner." Thomas and Susan Fletcher looked at the girl that their son had brought in. She seemed to be about 14 and was possibly only a smidgen taller than their 12-year-old son.

"Hello. I am Susan Fletcher and this is my husband, Thomas," Susan said, coming forward. "What is your name?"

"Cristina," Cristina said. "Without an h."

"Well, hello, Cristina without an h," Thomas said. "Welcome to our home for two weeks. Are you going to stay for dinner?"

"Shawn invited me but if it is too much trouble, I can leave," Cristina said.

"No, no," Susan said. "We have lots of food and as you can see, we have lots of kids, so one more kid is not going to be any trouble. What about your parents? Do you want to call them?"

"Oh, my parents are not here," Cristina said. Susan and Thomas exchanged looks. Were they dealing with a 14-year-old runaway?

"Okay, that's fine," Thomas said. "If you want to wash your hands, there is a bathroom down the hallway. Shawn, can you take her?"

"No, it's okay," Cristina said. "My family used to stay at this house, when I was little. I know my way around."

When she left to go to the bathroom, Shawn told his parents that the girl didn't have any place to stay and she was going to see if she could get a room at the inn in town. The Fletchers became increasingly alarmed because it definitely seemed like they were dealing with a runaway.

When she returned, she had a hearty dinner with the Fletchers and their five children, ranging from 12 year old Shawn to his 4 year old sister Jessie. When dinner was finished, Cristina thanked the Fletchers and said that she had to go.

Thomas piped up immediately. "Since your family is not around, maybe you can stay with us for the night. There is a spare bed in Jessie's room."

"Are you sure?" Cristina asked.

"Definitely," Susan said. As long as the girl had a safe place to stay for the night, they were happy. They would deal with her runaway status in the morning. Cristina was grateful for the lodging. As she got into her bed that night, she could feel the four-year-old's eyes boring into her. "Okay," she finally said, as she put out her hand. Jessie happily climbed into Cristina's bed, prepared to cuddle with the older girl. As the little girl fell asleep, Cristina contemplated her life and wondered what would happen next.

* * *

><p>The next day, after breakfast, it was only Susan and Cristina at the table. "So, Cristina, what are you going to do today?" Susan was asking because she wanted to know if she had to call the police to report this runaway.<p>

"I think I am going home today," Cristina said. "I just needed some time away from my family. We had a huge fight and I just needed some time for myself."

"I am so pleased to hear that," Susan said, grateful that the girl was going home. "Can we take you to the bus station?"

"No, it's okay," Cristina said. "I will walk." She got up. "Thank you so much for your hospitality." She gave the woman a kiss on her cheek before she left.

She walked into the town, bought a ticket and waited for a half-hour for the bus to come. When she got home more than two hours later, she was ready to face her parents' wrath, again. She quietly opened the door and was surprised to hear raised voices, emanating from the living room. She went to take a look and was shocked to see the Hunts there. Stanley and George were yelling at each other, while Helen was crying and Lana was hugging her. Owen was sitting quietly in a corner, with his face in his hands. She wondered what was going on.

"Hey," she said. Everyone looked in her direction. Her parents came rushing towards and hugged her tightly. Both of them were crying profusely. "Thank God, you're back, baby," Helen said. Stanley could not even speak; he was so elated to see his daughter, as he kissed her all over her face.

"Why did you run away?" Helen said. "We have been going out of our minds, since yesterday."

"I didn't really run away. I just needed some time for myself," Cristina said. "I needed some time to think." Her attention was drawn to her boyfriend, who had tears streaming down his face. "Owen?" He slowly came forward and took her face into his hands and gently kissed her, right in front of everyone.

"Cristina," he said, in a raspy voice. "I would have died if something had happened to you. I would not have been able to live. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Owen," she said, as she gave him a kiss back. He took her into his arms and held her, like if he would never let her go.

Stanley observed the scene and was taken aback by the deep love that the two of them had for each other. He had often dismissed their relationship as young puppy love and that they would get over each other, as they grew older. He realized he was wrong; their connection was real and strong. Why else would their relationship, which started in childhood, still remained so steadfast to this day?

He cleared his throat, "Cristina, Owen, I just wanted to say that I think I may have made a mistake."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments and your thoughts. I do appreciate when you take time to leave your thoughts. Thanks.**


	33. Chapter 33 Senior year

**A/N: Some mature content.**

"Mistake, Dad? You are admitting you made a mistake. One for the history books," Cristina said. "What did you make a mistake about?"

Stanley found the words hard to get out. "I think I may have made a mistake about you and Owen. It seems impossible to keep the two of you away from each other." Cristina's face broke out into a grin.

"So what are you saying, dad? Spell it out, please. I need to hear you actually say the words," she said.

"I think it might be alright for you to see Owen, from now on," Stanley said. "You are almost grown up and it seems that I can't stop what the heart wants."

"I can see Cristina, whenever I want, now, sir. Is that what you are saying?" Owen could not believe his ears. "Please don't let this be a joke."

"It is not a joke," Stanley said. "However, being able to date you, Owen, can only happen when Cristina serves out her punishment for lying to us and the running away." Cristina groaned. "Okay, what is it, dad? Let me have it."

"Well, I think being grounded for three months would be an adequate punishment. Other than drama club and cheerleading practice and football games, you are to come straight home and do your homework," Stanley said, folding his arms.

"Three months! That is pure torture, dad," Cristina shrieked. "And I didn't even really run away. I just needed some time to think. I was coming back home."

"Well, you did leave the house without telling us," Stanley said. "Okay, I will shorten the time period if you tell me where you went and what you did."

"Okay, that is a deal. I went to the lakeside town we used to go to, when we were kids. I took a bus and went there," Cristina said.

"The lake? We haven't been there in ages," Owen said. "I used to love that place. You, me, Garrett - we had the best times, there. The last time we were there was the summer I turned 14."

"Yeah, I remember that. It was the first time you kissed me, too," Cristina said.

"What? You were only 11 years old and he kissed you?" Stanley said, sitting down.

"Well, I asked him to. I just wanted to know what it felt like," she said. "But that is besides the point, dad. The reason I went there is because I wanted to go back to a time and place where Dad didn't have a problem with Owen."

Everyone was silent until Stanley spoke. "Okay, then, you are only grounded for two months. Now I think that is reasonable."

"Yes, dad, I will accept that punishment. Will I be able to talk to Owen on the phone during that time?" she asked.

"Yes, but you are not allowed to go out during that time and no more sneaking out of windows and climbing down the trellis," he said. Cristina grimaced. Her parents had figured out that was the way she left, after they discovered the open window. Stanley looked a little thoughtful. "Maybe I should remove that trellis."

"Okay, dad," Cristina said, accepting her fate. The punishment was trivial compared to what was ultimately won. She was now able to see Owen, freely and that felt like a victory.

* * *

><p>Her senior year started a couple of days later. She found Madeleine at her locker. "So how is your grounding going?" Cristina asked, as she opened her locker to put some books inside.<p>

"I am so bored out of my mind," Madeleine said. "I am home with my parents and my stupid little brothers. I can't go anywhere plus I can only use the computer to do homework."

"Ugh," Cristina said. "The best thing that came out my punishment is that I can get to see Owen, again, without them kicking up a fuss. It's just as well he went back to school since I can't see him, anyway, until my grounding is over. How about Rory?"

"He is not taking not seeing me, except in school, too well," Madeleine said. "Ah, there he is." A brown-haired boy came up to them. "Ready to go to class?" Madeleine nodded and they walked off, together.

At least Madeleine got to see Rory in school. Owen was back in college and she couldn't see him at all during the week. Stanley had acceded to their request that Owen could visit her during the weekends but they had to stay at the house, when he visited. That was better than nothing, they both agreed.

She was walking to her first class, when she heard some boys, whispering as she passed. She turned and saw Dewey and two other guys. They stopped talking when she looked at them. She was certain they were talking about her. She wondered what Dewey was saying about her. She found out later at lunchtime when she was sitting with Madeleine and Rory.

"Cristina," Rory said. "I heard some of the guys talking about you."

"What were they saying?" she asked. "I passed a couple of them in the hallway, whispering and then they stopped talking when I looked at them. I am sure Dewey is saying something about me."

"Well, he has been telling everyone that you are a tease and they shouldn't ask you out because you lead a guy on and then don't deliver the goods," Rory said, as he took a bite out of his sandwich.

"What? I have never led Dewey Elliot on. I never promised him anything. He just assumed that I would sleep with him, after junior prom. He took me to the Red Parrot and when I wouldn't comply with his wishes, he stranded me there," Cristina said. As she mentioned Red Parrot, both Madeleine and Rory exchanged glances since that was their meeting place. They both sighed, since they wouldn't be there, any time soon, given Madeleine's grounded status.

"It is just as well. I don't care if any high school boy asks me out, again. I have a boyfriend and he is in college. I am so over high school boys," Cristina declared. "No offense, Rory."

"None taken," Rory replied. "I just wish Madeleine's punishment could be over, soon." He gave Madeleine a kiss. Cristina looked at them kissing. She missed Owen and his lips.

* * *

><p>Cristina patiently waited until Mrs. Potter, the guidance counselor, put up the sign-up sheet for the tours of colleges in the Chicago area that she was organizing for seniors. Each college tour was limited to 10 students and places filled up, quickly. This year, Mrs. Potter was leading tours to Northwestern, University of Chicago, Loyola, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Illinois at Chicago and DePaul.<p>

"Ah, Cristina, the first one here," Mrs. Potter said, as she noticed the small girl standing there, waiting. "Which school tour are you interested in?"

"Northwestern," Cristina said, as she wrote down her name.

"Great school. Any other school catch your fancy?" Mrs. Potter asked.

"Yes, but they are all out of state. I am thinking of Brown, Dartmouth and Princeton," she said. "Also Stanford and Berkeley. I have already started my applications, just going through my essays, right now."

"All great schools. I am sure with your grades and extracurricular activities, you will be an excellent candidate for acceptance at any of those schools. I know I don't have to worry about you, Cristina. Just like I didn't have to worry about Garrett. How is he doing at CalTech?" Mrs Potter enquired.

"Garrett loves it, there plus he got an internship in Silicon Valley, which he says was one of the most amazing experiences in his life," Cristina said. "Anyway, going to my next class, Mrs. Potter. So I will be see you for the Northwestern tour."

"Certainly, Cristina," Mrs. Potter said. She watched as the girl walked away. Those Yang kids were such brilliant, dedicated students. She wished more of the kids were like them.

* * *

><p>Both Madeleine and Cristina had signed up for the Northwestern tour. As they stepped out of the school's mini-bus, Madeleine asked, "Did you tell Owen that you were coming?"<p>

"No, because we are only here for a couple of hours and we have to stay with the tour, anyway," Cristina said. "Chances are that we won't see him. He is probably in class, too."

The tour was conducted by one of the students in the school, who was a sophomore. Cristina looked around. It was a beautiful campus; she could actually see herself there. Cristina Yang, Northwestern freshman – that had a nice ring to it.

"And this is one of our libraries here," the student said, as they entered the doors.

Owen looked up and noticed the group of high school students entering the library. He was used to these tours, especially during the fall semester, when seniors were gearing up for applying for college. Then, he saw Madeleine. It had to be a group from his old high school. He wondered if Cristina was with her. Then, he saw her, the flash of shiny curls – she was lagging behind the group, just taking in everything. He looked at his watch; his shift was ending and he had a class in 45 minutes but there was no way he was going to let this opportunity pass. He watched as she caught up with the group. Where the heck was the guy who was replacing him at the desk? "Come on, come on," he muttered to himself, as he watched the group going pass. Then, William arrived. "Gotta go, William, gotta go," he said, as he chased after the tour group.

With a few swift strides, he was right behind them. He quietly came up behind his girlfriend, pushed back her hair and kissed her on the neck. She was sufficiently startled that she made a surprised yelp. Every single member of the tour group turned around to see Owen with his lips on Cristina's neck. He straightened up, a little embarrassed.

Mrs. Potter said, "Owen Hunt! As I live and breathe."

"Yes, ma'am," Owen said, "Good to see you, Mrs. Potter."

"Seems you are still familiar with certain members of our high school student body," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Owen said, sheepishly.

"Do you all remember Owen Hunt? He was a senior when you all were freshmen. He was the star quarterback and probably the most popular boy in high school, when he was there. So Owen, are you a junior at Northwestern?" Mrs. Potter asked.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. Mrs. Potter said, "Well, see kids, in a couple of years, you could be like Owen here, if you choose to study at Northwestern. Owen, would you like to join us, give us some of your insight of going to school here?"

"If you wish," he said.

"Well, good, Sandy, can you continue the tour?" Mrs. Potter told the student tour guide.

As the tour continued, Owen whispered in Cristina's ear. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"I wasn't sure that we would see you. Besides, I thought you would be too busy to see me," she whispered back. "You still have your classes."

"Well, I do have a class in about 40 minutes but I would gladly skip that class for you," he said. "I mean it's rare we see each other these days and it is not like we can do anything at your house, when I come to see you."

"Anything?" she grinned. "Whatever do you have in mind?" He suddenly pulled her in a side corridor, away from the tour group. "The thing is that when you work in the library, you know that there are nooks and crannies that nobody ever goes," he told her. "I am going to take you to one of those places." They soon found themselves in an area, which was completely deserted. "Hardly anyone comes here." He pushed her against a wall between two rows of bookshelves. He took her face in his hands and started kissing her. They started making out hot and heavy, their lips and tongues found each other's. His hands found its way under her skirt as he started pulling her panties off and slipping his fingers into her.

"I don't think we should be doing this," she whispered. "But I don't know if I can stop myself."

"Me either," he said, unzipping his pants and freeing himself. "Just a quickie, baby." As he entered her, she moaned loudly. He covered her mouth. "Nobody's here but still, we don't want to attract attention." She nodded. With fast, pounding penetrating thrusts, they soon climaxed. They giggled, as they straightened out their clothes. He took her to the restrooms, where they both cleaned up themselves.

He waited for her as she came out of the ladies' restroom. "I think I have to get you back to the rest of the tour." They hurriedly searched for the tour group and fortunately, found them. Madeleine noticed their sudden appearance, "Where have you been?"

"Owen was showing me some of the lesser known collections of the library," Cristina said. "It was very interesting."

"You could have let me know," Madeleine said. "I was getting bored. I could have come with you guys."

Both Cristina and Owen smiled, knowing full well that Madeleine could not have accompanied them.

"Cristina, so you're going to apply here, right?" he asked her.

"Well, yeah, but I am applying to five other universities, too. All out of state," she responded.

"No, you've gotta come here. You will be a freshman and I will be a senior," he pleaded. "I can't deal with you being out of state."

"But what if I don't get in, Owen?" she said. "I need other schools to accept me. Garrett and Holly go to colleges in different states. Garrett is in California and Holly is in Indiana and they are doing okay." He shook his head. "I have spent too much time being away from you in my lifetime. I am not going to do that, anymore. Besides, there is no way that you won't be accepted. Your grades are awesome."

"I don't know," she said. "It's not a given that I am going to get in here." She tried to temper his enthusiasm.

"You will get in," he said, confidently. He couldn't imagine his senior year without her, there. "Okay," she said. He took her hand and kissed it. "Together, next year," he said. "It is going to be one of the best years of our lives."

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for letting me know what you think.**


	34. Chapter 34 Christmas

With her grounding over, Cristina was now able to fully enjoy her senior year. Her reputation as a tease, who didn't deliver the goods, had changed. She now had a different reputation since some of the kids, who had been on the Northwestern tour and were witness to Owen kissing her neck, had now spread the word that she only dated college guys. It was just as well, she thought, it was true but she was only dating one college guy. At least, the high school guys knew that she wasn't interested in them. The first semester was coming to an end and Christmas was in the air.

Everyone was rather excited because the Yangs and the Hunts were having Christmas, together. Plus everyone was going to be there, since Garrett was coming home for the holidays. The Yangs had not seen their son since last Christmas. That was because Garrett had chosen to stay in California, during the summer, when he took that internship in Silicon Valley. Helen was particularly excited to see her boy. He came home the week before Christmas and was being thoroughly spoiled by his parents.

The Christmas luncheon was being held over at the Hunts' house. Cristina and Helen had got up early to prepare their half of the dishes. After they were done, they changed into their dressier clothes and joined Stanley and Garrett for their ride over to the Hunts' house. Laden with dishes and presents, they were greeted with a flurry of kisses and hugs from the members of the Hunt family.

Owen kissed Cristina on the mouth, "I am so glad you are here. Julia is driving me crazy."

"What's wrong?" Cristina asked, looking across at Owen's older sister, who was nervously putting down the table settings.

"She invited over her new boyfriend for Christmas," he said. "So she is panicking about introducing him to the family. She seems to really like this one, maybe love. She wants us to make a good impression on him. She is crazy; he is the one who is supposed to make a good impression on us."

"What's his name and where did she meet him?" Cristina asked.

"They met at their workplace. Apparently, he is a corporate lawyer from the firm that represents Julia's company in legal matters. I can tell he sounds like a bore, already," Owen said. "I think his name is Noel."

"Oh, come on, you haven't even met the guy, give him a chance. For all you know, he could become your brother in law. By the way, Noel is an appropriate name for Christmas," Cristina responded. Owen groaned at the thought. His sister's dating history was particularly disastrous, through the years. She had brought home a parade of guys that her parents had hated. "Stop groaning. She just wasn't lucky enough to meet her soulmate when she was four years old," Cristina said with a grin. He gave her a kiss for that.

"She is 26 years old now. You would think that she would get it right by now," Owen said. Just then, the doorbell rang.

"It's him, it's him," Julia said. She straightened her dress and went to open the door. She opened the door to reveal a dark-haired good-looking young man about 30 years old. All of the Yangs and the Hunts gave him the once-over. Noel could feel their eyes examining him.

"Everyone, please meet Noel Fischer. Noel, this is my family – my mom Lana, my dad George, my brother Owen. These are the Yangs – Stanley, Helen, Garrett and Cristina. Cristina is Owen's girlfriend," she explained. Everyone politely shook hands with the newcomer.

"Welcome to our home, Noel. We are so pleased to have you here," Lana said.

"I am honored to be invited over for Christmas," Noel said, giving everyone a look at his dazzling white teeth. Owen cringed but Cristina squeezed his hand, so he didn't groan aloud.

"Well, I guess everything is ready. Why don't we all go to the dining room?" Julia said, looking up at her beau, with a smitten look on her face.

With that, the Yangs, the Hunts and Noel all found themselves in the dining room. Owen sat next to Cristina, while Julia and Noel also found themselves next to each other. As everyone started to eat, George asked Garrett, "So how are you enjoying life in California?"

"I love it," Garrett replied. "The weather is way better than Chicago. A few earthquakes here and there but nothing beats southern California weather."

"So you are enjoying it at CalTech?" Lana asked.

"Very much so," Garrett said. "I got an internship through the school in Silicon Valley and I have been invited by the company to intern again, next summer."

"That's wonderful," George said. "When you graduate, maybe they will offer you a job. Cristina, how are your college applications coming along?"

"Fine," Cristina said. "More than fine," Helen interjected. "She made all of those deadlines with a week to spare."

"I worked really hard on my essays," Cristina said. "I think I did a good job, if I do say so myself."

"May I ask what schools you applied to?" Noel said, interestedly.

"I applied to Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth on the east coast and Berkeley and Stanford on the west coast. I also applied to Northwestern," she said. Owen smiled when she mentioned Northwestern.

"Ah, all great schools," Noel said. "Maybe you should think about going out of state for a new experience. I know Northwestern is a great school but it is pretty close to home." Owen turned and gave Noel a glare. Noel was taken aback by the young man's unfriendly look but pressed on further, "It is always good to spread your wings. I went to University of Pennsylvania and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I got to see a different city and embrace a different lifestyle."

"There is nothing wrong with Northwestern," Owen said. "Cristina could get a fine education at Northwestern." Who was this guy to be butting in and having opinions on where his girlfriend should go to school, Owen thought. He didn't even know Cristina, for crying out loud.

"You must forgive my little brother," Julia said. "He goes to school at Northwestern and I am pretty sure he wants Cristina to go to school, there."

"Oh," Noel said. "As I said, Northwestern is a great school. I just thought that she might want to spread her wings a little bit and experience something new." Owen gave Noel a thunderous look, which made even Julia cringe. Cristina decided to intervene at this point. "I am not sure where I want to go to school as yet. But thanks for your input." Owen turned to her and gave her a puzzled look. What did she mean that she hadn't yet decided where she was going to school? Hadn't they decided that she was going to go to Northwestern? He grabbed her hand under the table. She looked at him and whispered, "Talk to you about it, later." That did not put him at ease as he felt himself become even more agitated.

After dessert, Owen and Cristina headed to his bedroom. He needed to talk to her, as well as to give her a present.

They sat on his bed and handed each other their presents. "Do you mind if we don't open these presents, now?" he asked. "I need to talk to you about what you said at the table. About you not deciding where you want to go to school. Was it that guy? Was it Julia's stupid boyfriend that made you change your mind about going to Northwestern?"

"Um, no," she said. "No guy I barely know is going to change my mind about something as important as where I choose to spend my four years of college. It has been something I have been thinking about for a while."

"What? I thought we discussed this. You're going to come to Northwestern as a freshman and I will be there as a senior and we can be together, there," he said.

"You decided that, Owen," she said. "I didn't. I still haven't made a decision. We don't even know if I will get into Northwestern. Suppose I get in somewhere else like Princeton or Brown. If I do, I will probably go to Princeton or Brown. I am just keeping my options open," she said. "I am not putting all of my eggs in one basket." He looked at her with disappointment written all over his face.

"I am sorry, Owen but it's the truth. I haven't made up my mind as yet. When the acceptance or rejection letters start coming in March, then we will know what is going to happen," she said. "Till then, let's just enjoy our lives."

He lay back on his bed. He was not happy. She laid her head on his chest. He put his arm around her. He had envisioned this whole year together at school and there was a possibility that it could not happen.

"Do you mind, Cristina? I think I want to be alone for a while, now," he said. She raised her head and walked out of the bedroom. Though the Yangs stayed at the Hunt more than an hour later, Owen never emerged from his bedroom. Cristina was sad that she had made Owen so unhappy. She also felt hurt that he had asked her to leave. Owen had never done that to her before in his life.

He heard the sound of the Yangs' vehicle as it drove away. He was too depressed to even look out. His phone buzzed, indicating that he had a text. He looked at the message, it was from Cristina. "I am sorry. :("

"I am sorry, too, Cristina," he said. He had wanted his senior year at Northwestern to be the best year of college, with the girl of his dreams by his side. Now she could be half a country away. He looked at the present she had left for him. He dug in the gift bag to pull out a photo album of their entire lives together – when they met when she was four and he was seven, from their years at grade school, at the lakehouse, in high school in the plays, at football games and at the prom. She also included pictures from the past summer when they finally got back together. Next to the pictures were little notes about what they were doing and where they were in the pictures. There were empty pages at the back of the album and she had left another note, saying that those pages were for future memories. It was a wonderful present, he admitted, and it had probably taken a lot of work to get all of those pictures together.

He took out his phone and sent her a text message. "Thank you for my present. It means a lot to me." He wasn't yet ready to talk to her but he felt he needed to say this. When Cristina got the text, she smiled, wistfully. Normally, he would have called her but she recognized that he was still unhappy and not yet ready to talk. She decided she would leave him alone until he was ready.

It wasn't until New Year's Eve that he called. It was almost a whole week, since she had heard from him. The holidays were feeling very empty without him. It was early morning, when he called. She was still rolling around in her bed, when she heard her phone blare the latest LMFAO tune. She grabbed it from her bedside to answer it because she knew her mom hated the loudness of the ringtone.

"Hello," she said breathlessly, without looking at the caller.

"Hey, it's me," he answered. "Owen," she said, the happiness in her voice was evident as she said his name.

"Yeah, how are you doing?" he asked, softly.

"Physically, I am fine. Emotionally, I have been a little sad without you. I have missed you," she said.

"I have missed you, too," he said. "The week has been like torture."

"Are we okay with each other?" she asked. "Since our last discussion."

"Yeah, I realized I was being unreasonable. I still want you to go to Northwestern to be with me but where you are accepted, is obviously out of our hands," he said.

"Thanks," she said. There was a pause before he asked, "If you are accepted at Northwestern, which I am pretty sure you will be, will you keep it near the top of your list in your final decision?"

"It was always near the top of my list, Owen," she said. "I do want to be with you but we have to be realistic and recognize that there is a possibility that it may not happen." He sighed.

"Okay, do you want to go to Navy Pier, tonight?" he asked. "To see the fireworks."

"Sure, we can get Garrett and Holly to come, too. It will just be like old times," she said. They both fell silent because they knew that it was possible that things were going to change.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for the reviews. I do appreciate them.**


	35. Chapter 35 The Decision

Cristina laid out the admittance letters on her bed. She had one from Stanford, saying she was on the waiting list. She tossed that aside. There were five other great schools that had accepted her. It was clearly Stanford's loss when they put her on the waiting list, she consoled herself.

She wasn't quite sure what to do. There was a knock on her door. "Whatcha doing, baby?" Helen said, as she came in. She observed the letters all laid out on the bed.

"I am trying to decide which school I should go to," Cristina said. "These are all great schools, mom. I can get a fine quality education at any one of them. I have to notify whether I am accepting a place because deadlines are fast approaching. "

"Honey, you just go where your heart tells you where you belong," her mom said. "I know you will do well, wherever you choose."

"Thanks, mom," Cristina said. "It means a whole lot to me that you and dad are supporting me so much in this decision."

"What about Owen?" Helen said. She knew that he was a factor in the decision-making process. "Well, you know where he stands on it," her daughter answered. "He wants me to go to Northwestern. It is an awesome school, Mom, but I haven't made my decision."

"Well, it is close to home. You can come home, whenever you want," her mom reminded her. "I think that would be nice for dad and me. We will miss you, terribly. We miss Garrett really badly, when he is halfway across the country. I mean you will be in your own dorm at Northwestern but you can still come home when you want." Cristina hugged her mom. "Thanks, mom," she said. "I will take that into consideration, too."

"Okay, going to make lunch, now," Helen said. "I will call you when it is ready." Cristina nodded and went back, staring at the letters. Her phone rang. It was Owen.

"Hey," she answered. "Hey, yourself," he said. "Whatcha doing? It is a nice Saturday spring day, today. Do you want to go out, today?"

"Um, I am trying to make a decision about school," she said. "I have all of the letters laid out in front of me." His heart skipped a beat when he heard that. "So how is it going?" he asked.

"It's hard," she said. "I am going to make a list of the pros and cons of each school in the hope that it will help with the decision."

"I hope I am at the top of the list in the pros for Northwestern," he said, softly.

"Of course you are," she replied. "Plus mom and dad are also on the list for Northwestern. Mom just came in and gave a pitch for Northwestern."

"See, I knew your mom was on my side," he said, with a laugh. "Yes, she is," Cristina replied.

"Okay, so I will leave you to your list-making," he said. "Let me know what decision you make."

"You will be the first one I tell," she said. "Bye." She hung up the phone and pulled out her yellow legal pad and started making her lists

After hanging up the phone, Owen stared at the ceiling of his apartment. It was an anxious time for him with Cristina making her college decision. She knew exactly what he wanted but he had decided a long time ago that if she chose another University other than Northwestern, he was going to accept it and support her, even though it was not he wanted. He decided to give Garrett a call. Maybe he could give him advice on how to handle it, being long distance from your girlfriend.

"Hey, Garrett," he said, when his friend answered. "How are things in California?"

"Hey, Owen. It has been a while. We haven't spoken since New Year's Day," Garrett said.

"Yeah, I am sorry about that," Owen said. "I wanted to ask you your advice about being in a long-distance relationship, like you and Holly have been doing for the past three years."

"I really don't know how to tell you this, Owen, but Holly and I broke up about a month ago. Just before Valentine's Day," Garrett said.

"What? But you guys have been doing the long distance relationship, since you were a senior in high school and she was a freshman at Notre Dame," Owen said, in total shock.

"Yeah, well, I think it has been heading to our break up for quite a while, now. Maybe even since last year, especially when I took that job in Silicon Valley and I didn't come home. She was totally mad about that. Christmas time, we had a huge fight. That's why we didn't go out with you and Cristina to Navy Pier for New Year's Eve. She was in a snit and so was I," Garrett admitted. "So, when we went back to our respective schools, it felt like such a relief and we didn't feel like trying, anymore. That's why we split last month. We wished each other well and that was it. There was no crying, no shouting, no anger, no sadness. I guess we just grew apart. The distance was just too much for us, I guess."

"But you two have been going around since high school," Owen spluttered out. He could not believe it. His aspirational couple, who had held it together for three and a half years in a long-distance relationship, had called it quits.

"Yeah, maybe we also outgrew each other. High school me and college me are probably different, as it is probably for her," Garrett said. "But it's okay, Owen, Holly and I are still friends. She started dating other guys and I have started dating other girls."

This was not what Owen wanted to hear. He didn't want that to happen to him and Cristina. He felt like he couldn't talk anymore. "I gotta go, Garrett," he said.

"Sorry, Owen, if I didn't provide you with the answers you were looking for," Garrett said. "Maybe you and Cristina will be different. After all, you have loved her for most of your life." Garrett had known exactly why Owen was asking these questions.

"Yeah," Owen said, before he hung up. That phone call had definitely not put his mind at ease. He got up from his bed and started to pace. When he and Cristina were forcibly separated by her father, she had started dating other guys – Jordan and that stupid Dewey kid. That same thing could happen if she was at Princeton or Brown or somewhere far away. She could end up dating some Ivy League guy and forget about him, he thought. He started to cold sweat and he felt he needed some fresh air. He grabbed his coat and headed out of his apartment.

Cristina had already crossed off two schools off her list – Berkeley and Brown. She was now down to three schools – Princeton, Dartmouth and Northwestern. This was hard work, she thought. She sipped at the hot chocolate her mom had brought for her, as she was going through this task. She wondered what Owen was doing. She was going to call him but changed her mind. She needed to do this and to stop stalling.

Owen returned to his apartment with an ill-gotten bottle of tequila. He was hoping to drown his sorrows in some liquor. He had got some shady guy to go into the liquor store to buy the tequila. This guy was well known to college students, as he often bought liquor on their behalf, for a commission. As he handed over his cash to the guy, Owen reminded himself that in three more months, he could buy his own liquor when he turned 21.

He cracked open the bottle and poured himself a drink. He had never drunk tequila before in his life but he felt he needed a stiff drink. He had only drunk beers before and this was the first time he was trying hard liquor. He tossed back the drink. It was only when the burning hit his throat and his chest that he knew he had made a big mistake to drink it all in one gulp like that. He pounded his chest in hopes that it would stop burning. "Oh…my…God," he squeaked out.

The burning in his chest did not stop him from pouring out another drink. Maybe it would get better by the second drink, he thought. It did not but at least, he tolerated it a bit better. He lay on the floor of his apartment, knocking back the drinks. Before he knew it, the liquor had its effect and he had fallen asleep on the floor.

By 7 p.m, Cristina had finally made her decision. She thought it was the best decision for herself and for everyone else. She thought she would give Owen a call.

Owen heard the ringing of the phone but he was not sure where it was coming from. The room was dark. He let the sound of the phone guide him to where it was. He croaked, "Hello."

"Hey, Owen," was Cristina's cheery voice.

"Hey," he slurred. He sounded different, she thought. What the heck was wrong with him? "Why do you sound like that?" she asked.

He mumbled something that she could not understand. "Owen?" she said. He mumbled again.

"Are you drunk, by any chance?' she asked. He groaned as he answered, "Maybe."

"Why are you drinking?" she said. "You are not even 21." Owen laughed. "Oh, come on, Cris, I have drunk beers, before." That was weird. He called her Cris. He never did that before.

"I just wanted to tell you that I made up mind about school," she said.

"Oh," he said. "Don't tell me. You chose Princeton and you are going to leave me. You are going to get there and start dating other guys because that is what you do. Don't think I forgot about how you dated Jordan and Dewey and who knows who else."

"What are you saying, Owen?" she said, appalled at what he was telling her.

"Do you know that Garrett and Holly broke up?" he said. "Yeah, that's right. They broke up last month. Garrett said they just grew apart. The distance was too much. You know what, Cris? That is going to happen to us, too. You are going to leave me behind and not look back, just like when they broke up on Glee."

"That is just a tv show, Owen," she said. "That's not real. I don't think you are in the right frame of mind to have this conversation right now. So I am going to hang up and talk to you in the morning. Try and sleep off that liquor."

"So you're hanging up and leaving me," he said, pitifully. "Yeah, that is the way you do it." She sighed. "Owen, I will talk to you in the morning. Bye." She hung up. He stared at his now silent phone. He crawled into his bed and put the pillow over his head. Soon enough, he drifted off to sleep, again.

The next day, he woke up around 10 a.m. with a pounding headache. He looked at the tequila bottle on the floor. His first experience with hard liquor was not turning out so great. He crawled to the bathroom and hung over the toilet bowl. After a rather humbling session in the bathroom, he went to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.

He sat down at the breakfast counter and sipped the piping hot liquid rather slowly. He felt and looked terrible. He also felt ashamed. He knew he had spoken to Cristina last night but he could not really remember what he said. That was really bad, he thought. He needed to talk to her, today and apologize but he seriously needed to get his act, together. He swallowed some aspirin to help his pounding head. He wondered why people drank too much to the point of getting drunk because the feeling afterwards was horrid.

He crawled back into his bed. When the headache had finally passed, he thought he would take a drive to Cristina's house to apologize face to face about whatever he said, last night. He took a bath and stared at his face in the mirror. He looked awful.

With a pair of dark glasses perched on his nose, he drove over to Cristina's house. Cristina's mom answered the door, when he rang the doorbell. "Hello, Owen," she said.

"Hi, Mrs. Yang," he said, hoping his voice sounded normal. "Is Cristina here?"

"Yup, we just had lunch, so she should be up in her room," she said. "By the way, she made her college decision." So that was what she had called him about, yesterday. He wondered if she had actually told him where she had decided she was going. He could not remember a thing about their conversation.

He went up the stairs and found her on her bed, reading a magazine. "You're here," she said. He came and sat next to her on the bed.

"I am sorry about whatever I said yesterday in our conversation," he said. "I was drunk."

"Yeah, I figured as much," she said. "How are you feeling now?"

"Still run down but better now. My head was killing me, earlier," he said. "Your mom said you decided where you were going to college."

"Yes, I have," she said. He waited with bated breath.

"I had chosen Northwestern," she said. He got a huge smile on his face. "But now, I am not so sure," she continued. The smile on his face disappeared.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to write a review.**


	36. Chapter 36 Jordan

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Owen demanded to know. "You can't change your mind in a split second. Why don't you not want to go to Northwestern, anymore?"

"Because of how you acted yesterday," Cristina said, pouting. "You said some things that were not just nice."

"I was drunk!" he said. "I can't even remember what I said. You can't hold that against me. Anyway, what the hell did I say to make you change your mind? Whatever it was, I take it back. Right here, right now."

"Well, you told me that Garrett and Holly broke up and that if they broke up, we were going to break up and I was going to date some other guys because that is what I do. And then you brought up Jordan and Dewey as examples of me doing this," she said.

He stayed silent for a bit. "I was just relaying my fears about us. If Garrett and Holly couldn't make it, then it could be possible that we won't make it, if you go to school somewhere, other than Northwestern. The distance broke their relationship. I don't want that to happen to us. Do you know they are both dating other people, now? I always thought that they were going to make it," he said, looking down at his large hands. "I don't want to lose you. It would be the worst thing to happen to me, if it did. That's why I drank. I was kinda drowning my sorrows in alcohol. But the way I feel this morning is probably going to keep me off the sauce. The hangover is tremendously awful."

"Okay, I understand why you did it but I still don't have to like the way you handled it," she said. "You could have just talked to me about it. Here I am, trying to make one of the most important decisions of my life and there you were, drinking to drown your sorrows."

"I know, I am sorry about that and I want to apologize for anything I may have said, when I was drunk," he said. "I didn't mean it. Sorry, that's not true. It may have come out a little harsh but I did tell you my fears." She came to him and touched him on his cheek. "Oh, Owen, when I dated Jordan and stupid Dewey, we weren't a couple. But even if I went to school far away from home, we would still be a couple, even though we are in different states."

"So what does this mean?" he asked. "That you have decided to go somewhere else?" His heart had dropped to the pit of his stomach. Even if they were going to remain a couple, he still wanted a situation where he could see and touch her every day.

"No," she said. "I am going to Northwestern." He picked her up and kissed her. "Oh, you have made me so happy. It was the right choice."

"Well, my parents think so, too. They were devastated when Garrett went to California because they missed him, so much. Now they know that I am just a car ride away, they are really happy about it. They even said I could come home for Sunday lunch, whenever I want," she said.

"I can't wait for us to be together in school," he said, as he hugged her. "Yeah, me too," she said, giving him a huge smile.

* * *

><p>With the tensions of Cristina finally choosing her school, the next month was rather blissful. Owen came every weekend to take her out on dates. Sometimes, they would go back to his apartment and make love, sometimes, they went out to the movies, and sometimes, they went out to dinner. However, there was one major event that was occupying Cristina's mind. It was the upcoming senior prom. Owen waited patiently for her to mention it. He knew there could be no other person, who could be her date, so why wasn't she saying anything about it. He already had his suit; all he needed to know was what color dress she was wearing, so he could match his tie and get the right flowers.<p>

On one of their dates, he asked, "Is there anything you need to ask me?" She knew exactly to what he was inferring. She decided that she was going to make any suffer. She pretended to think before she answered. "No, no, I don't think so," she said, with a sweet smile.

He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. He was going to pursue it further, for the moment, but she better darn well ensure that he was the one she was going to ask to her senior prom. Little did he know that Cristina was trying to think about a special way to ask him to the prom. It was tradition at their school that you just couldn't ask someone, it had to be done in style. For his senior prom, Owen had asked his dad's friend to fly a banner from the tail of his plane, while he flew over Cristina's house. Cristina couldn't afford anything like that. Most of her presents to Owen were made by her, except for that one time, when she saved up all of her allowance to buy that watch for him. He looked at her and wondered what she was thinking. She caught his look and reached over to take his face in her hands and kissed him. She knew that would distract him for the while, so she could give herself time to think of what she could do.

* * *

><p>She was sitting at the kitchen table while her mom was making sugar cookies. "Mom, why are you making so many cookies?" Cristina asked, as she bit into a cookie from one of the finished batches.<p>

"Hey, hey, why are you eating my cookies?" her mother asked. Cristina finished off the cookie, before she answered, "What's the matter? Aren't they for us?"

"Well, no. I am doing it for the church's bake sale. I promised to make 12 dozen sugar cookies to sell," Cristina said. She watched her mother cut out the cookie dough into shapes, like triangles, leaves, hearts, stars and even alphabet letters. It was when she saw the letters that she had the idea. She knew what she was going to do to ask him to the prom. She told her mother her idea. Helen smiled and said she would help her.

The next day, Helen made a special trip to Evanston to deliver a silver tin of cookies, wrapped in ribbon and a huge bow. She left the tin right outside of Owen's apartment door. When he came home that afternoon, he was surprised to see the tin, there. He picked it up and carried it into the apartment. He untied the ribbon and the bow to release the card that was attached to the top of the tin. He knew that handwriting on the envelope. It belonged to his girl.

He opened the envelope and read the message. "Owen, in this tin is some letter-shaped cookies. Figure out what it says and give me a call with your answer. The clues are (a) there are eight words and (b) the words have 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 2 letters in that order. Cristina."

He figured out that this was her way to ask him to the prom. It was such a cute idea and he knew exactly what the words should be. He spilled out the cookies on to his table and started putting together the message, which read, "Will you go to the prom with me." He was gratified to find that she had also included a question mark cookie to put at the end of the sentence. She was so thorough, he thought. He grinned. She had taken long enough to ask him, especially since the prom was next week.

He picked up the phone and dialed her number. "I got your message," he said. "What should my answer be?" He laughed. "I especially loved the question mark cookie."

"Stop laughing and answer the question," she said, in what she hoped was a stern voice. She was just kidding him, of course.

"Well, you took so long to ask me. I am going to take my cool time to answer you," he said, teasingly. "The prom is next week and I am now getting my invitation. I do have to plan my wardrobe and such."

"Well, if you are going to be this way, I might as well just ask Jordan if he wants to go with me," she said. She knew that would get him all riled up. Two can play this game, she thought. She knew exactly what button to push.

"Cristina, don't you dare say something like that to me," he said, the hurt in his voice was evident. "You know that just upsets me."

"Well, answer the question," she said, recognizing she may have taken this a little too far.

"Now, I don't feel like it," he said. "It makes me feel that you could easily replace me with Jordan."

"Okay, I apologize. I should not have mentioned Jordan's name. You know there is no one else I rather go to the prom with," she said, softly.

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "If I had letter cookies to reply to you, the answer would be Y-E-S."

"I figured that," she said. "Just wanted to hear the words from your mouth."

"So what color is your dress?" he asked. "I am sure you and your mom have bought it already. Your mom is always more excited than you to buy the dress."

"Emerald green," Cristina said. "The lady in the prom dress shop always thinks that jewel tones look best on me."

"She is right," Owen said. "You always look beautiful. Now I know what tie to get with my suit. Now where the heck am I going to get flowers for an emerald green dress," he said. "Now that is a doozy."

"You'll figure it out," she said. "I am sorry about what I said, just now. I didn't really mean it."

"It's okay," he said. "I know that you love me."

"Yeah, I do," she replied. "I love you very much. Okay, bye."

"Bye, baby," he replied. "Love you so much."

* * *

><p>The next week, he showed up on time for their prom date. When she came down the stairs in her emerald green dress, he gasped. "You look so beautiful," he said. Cristina blushed a little. "Thank you. It is just a nice dress and make-up."<p>

"No," he said. "It's you." He handed her the corsage of green orchids. "Oh, my God," she said, on seeing the corsage. "You actually got green flowers." He nodded. "The lady in the flower shop recommended them."

"Come on, kids, let's take that photo. In front of the fireplace, now," Helen said. Both she and Stanley took so many pictures, that Cristina started seeing stars from all of the flash. "Mom, Dad, that is enough," she said. "Owen and I have to go." Her parents watched as she and Owen walked out to the limo, that he hired. They then went out to dinner at their favorite restaurant and then the hotel, where the prom was being held. They took their obligatory prom picture and had to endure some of the teachers fussing over Owen, as they welcomed back into their midst. When he finally disentangled himself from their grasp, he found her a seat and asked if she wanted something to drink. She nodded and watched him disappear into the crowd to the bar. She was staring at her green orchids corsage, when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Cristina, you look amazing," Jordan said, giving her an appreciative look. She looked up at him. "Thanks, Jordan, you clean up nicely, yourself, too. By the way, congratulations on the prom king nomination."

"I should be congratulating you, too on your prom queen nomination," he said. She laughed. "I don't think that there is any chance of me winning that. Besides, didn't your junior prom date, Naomi, win junior prom queen last year? She is probably going to win senior prom queen, too."

"You shouldn't count your chances out," he said. "I voted for you."

"You're kidding?" she said. "Thanks, but as I said, I am probably not going to win. I didn't even vote for anybody. I am sorry. If I had known that you voted for me, I would have given you my vote."

"That's okay," he said. "I am not holding my breath, either, on winning this thing. Cristina, seeing that we are graduating in a couple of weeks and we probably are not going to see each other after that, I just wanted to say something to you."

"Okay," she responded. What did Jordan want to say to her?

"It's about last year and about how we broke up. I realize I behaved like an idiot because you didn't want to sleep with me. I am so sorry about that," he said. "I want to chalk it up to immaturity but I really don't want to give myself an excuse. We had a good thing going and I totally messed it up."

"Thanks, Jordan, it is big of you to say this," she replied. "I just wasn't ready. But it is okay, now. All water under the bridge."

"Thanks, Cristina, it means a lot to me," Jordan said, with a smile. "Where is your date?"

"Oh, he is coming back from getting me a drink," Cristina said. "He is a little way behind you." Jordan looked around and saw the tall, blond muscular young man, giving him a deadly stare. Owen had seen the young man, hanging around Cristina for the past ten minutes.

"Here is your drink, Cristina," Owen said, handing her the glass of coca cola. "Thanks," she said, as she took a sip.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Owen asked, in an icy tone. Jordan started to feel uncomfortable.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts.**


	37. Chapter 37 Prom Night

**A/N: This chapter has mature content.**

Cristina could tell from Owen's tone that he was not happy. She didn't know why he was upset. She and Jordan were just talking and it was actually quite a great conversation, since Jordan had apologized to her for his behavior the previous year.

She put her hand into Owen's own. Maybe that would appease him, she thought. "Owen, this is my friend, Jordan Woods. Jordan, this is my boyfriend, Owen Hunt." At least, she fully established each other's position, clearly. Owen's ears perked up immediately, when he heard the name, Jordan. So this was the guy she dated in junior year. He gave him the once-over. Jordan was a good-looking guy but he was not as tall or as muscular as Owen was. He offered Jordan his hand and gave him an extremely firm handshake.

"Pleased to meet you," Owen grunted out. "Likewise," Jordan grunted back. There seemed to be an awkward silence after that.

"I guess I will leave you guys," Jordan said. "I do have my own date and I need to pay attention to her. Cristina, you do look lovely and good luck on the prom queen nomination."

"You, too," she said, as Jordan left to go back to his date.

"What? You're nominated for prom queen? You didn't tell me," Owen said. "That is just awesome. You know I was prom king of the senior prom."

"Yes, I know, Owen. I was there," she said. "You danced with Shelly Garcia, who was prom queen. I didn't tell you because it doesn't matter. I am not going to win, anyway. Naomi Jenkins is probably going to win. She was junior prom queen, last year." Cristina pointed out the chesty blonde, Naomi, from across the dance floor.

"Oh," Owen said. "So Jordan is up for prom king, too." Cristina nodded. "Yes, but he doesn't think much of his chances, but he said he voted for me. He is probably the one, who did."

"Why do you say that, Cristina?" Owen looked at her, incredulously. "You are one of the prettiest girls around here, as far as I can tell. I am sure more people than Jordan voted for you."

"Please," Cristina said. "I am not overtly sexy like Naomi. She is there, throwing her boobs around in all of the guys' faces. They can't help but stare at them and probably put the X next to her name on the ballot paper. She is positively boobalicious." Owen gave Naomi a closer look. Yes, the blonde was sexy but in a low-rent kind of way. She was definitely not his type. He knew what his type was and she was right next to him.

"She has got nothing on you, baby," he said, giving Cristina a kiss on the forehead. "So Jordan? You really liked that guy."

"At the time, I did," Cristina said. "You and I weren't together and Jordan and I were doing okay there for a while, until he got demanding about sex. I guess I didn't want to sleep with him because he wasn't the right one. I knew who was the right one." He put his arm around her. "Well, something great did come out about about tonight. Jordan apologized about the way he treated me, last year. He said we were leaving school in a couple of weeks and we were probably not going to see each other, again, so he wanted to say he was sorry. I think that was big of him." Owen nodded. That Jordan wasn't too bad a character, after all.

"Do you want to dance?" Owen asked, as a slow romantic song came on. Cristina put down her empty glass and Owen led her to the dance floor. He put his arms around her waist, while she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You know those heels do help you out," he said. "You seem taller."

"Thank you, I picked them out and mom paid for them," Cristina said. He pulled her in, tighter, for a kiss on the dance floor. Then, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He broke off the kiss and looked around. It was Mrs. Carver, still doing chaperone duty.

"Ah, Mr. Hunt, I see you have decided to grace our senior prom with your presence, once again," she said. "As I told you, at your own senior prom, three years ago, no kissing on the dance floor. We have to keep it clean out here."

"Yes, Mrs. Carver," Owen said, sheepishly. Mrs. Carver eyed Owen's date. "And I see you have the same date that you had three years ago. Miss Yang, I trust that you are having a great time."

"Yes, Mrs. Carver," Cristina said. "Well, okay then, kids," Mrs. Carver said, as she spotted another couple getting a little too close on the dance floor. "Keep it clean."

Cristina and Owen both giggled, as they watched the teacher tap another young man on his shoulder.

"Oh, this really takes me back to my high school days," Owen said. "I really missed them but then again, college days aren't so bad, either. Next year is going to be even better because you will be there. Good times."

"Yup," she agreed. She waved across at Madeleine and Rory. He looked to where she was waving. "Ah, Madeleine, I haven't seen her in a while. I always used to think of her as your mousy friend. Seems she isn't mousy, anymore." He had noticed that Rory had one of his hands on Madeleine's butt and she wasn't removing it. It was a clear sign that they were on intimate terms.

"Nope," Cristina agreed. "She is going to Wellesley next year. Rory is pretty heartbroken about it because he is going to school in Tennessee." Owen could well imagine Rory's pain because he had suffered the same when Cristina was choosing colleges. He lucked out when she decided to go to Northwestern, too.

"By the way," he whispered. "Since your mom and dad are allowing you to stay out to go prom after-parties, I was thinking we could have our own after-party upstairs in a hotel room."

"Hmmm," she said, teasingly. "I wonder what we are going to do."

"Anything you wish," he said. "But I know what I like to do." He looked around for Mrs. Carver before he stole a quick kiss. They danced for a couple of more hours. Owen asked, "Are you ready to go to the room?"

"Yeah, sure," she said. Then, they heard the music stop and Mrs. Carver's voice was heard over the speakers. "May I have your attention, please? The time has come to announced senior prom king and senior prom queen."

"Let's wait. I want to see if Jordan wins prom king," Cristina told Owen. "I didn't vote but I still want to show him my support if he wins by clapping and cheering."

"Okay," Owen said. His earlier jealousy over Jordan had dissipated because he knew that the younger boy was really not a rival for Cristina's affections.

"Drum roll, please," Mrs. Carver said, waving her arms in the air. "The senior prom king, as voted by the senior class, is….JORDAN WOODS!" The spotlight flashed on Jordan, whose expression was that of total shock. "Me?" Jordan said. Cristina shrieked, as she wildly clapped for him. Jordan went up on the stage and allowed Mrs. Carver to put the crown on his head. Owen remembered when he was prom king. It seemed so long ago. "Do you want to leave now?" he asked his girlfriend. She nodded and took his hand. They were headed out of the main ballroom area. Mrs. Carver was ready to announce the prom queen. "And our prom queen for this year is…CRISTINA YANG!" The guy controlling the spotlight frantically searched the crowd for the prom queen, until he finally saw her at the exit.

"Cristina Yang, are you leaving?" Mrs. Carver said. "You're leaving at the moment of your crowning glory."

"Uh…." Cristina said. Owen was all smiles, as he escorted his tiny girlfriend to the stage. Jordan was the one, clapping wildly now. As Cristina stood on the stage and looked out at the crowd, she was surprised to see how many people were applauding, except of course, Naomi Jenkins, who look terribly pissed. Naomi had been so expecting to be prom queen, especially since she had really campaigned among the guys, to win this thing.

Owen was so proud of Cristina that he didn't even mind when she took to the dance floor with Jordan.

"I told you that you would win," Jordan whispered.

"This was a total surprise," Cristina admitted. "I was sure that Naomi was going to win it."

"I think a lot of people didn't vote for Naomi because she was the junior prom queen. People thought someone else should get it. Turns out that someone else was you," he said. "By the way, I am just as shocked as you that I won prom king, especially I have only been at this school for two years."

"I prefer you to win that any stupid guy like Dewey Elliot, who has been here the full four years," Cristina said. She still held a grudge against Dewey, who had stranded her at the Red Parrot Motel on junior prom night.

When the song ended, Jordan kissed her on the hand and they went their separate ways. Cristina re-joined Owen, who gave her a smooch on the lips. "Congratulations, baby. Prom queen!"

"It's not a big deal," she said. "Let's celebrate the right way!" He chuckled. He knew exactly what she meant. They left the ballroom and he took her straight to the elevator. He pressed the button for the sixth floor.

"Aren't we going to check in?" she asked. He dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a key card. "I already checked in," he said, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Aren't you being presumptuous that I would have said yes?" she asked, shaking her head that he knew her so well.

"I figured you would want to spend your prom night with me, rather than some after-party, where everyone is probably going to get wasted," Owen said. "We are going to have our own after-party." They got out on the sixth floor, where Owen took her to Room 623. He slipped the key card in and opened the door. Cristina immediately ran inside and flopped on the bed. "Comfy," she said in what she thought was a seductive voice. He lay on top of her and kissed her. "I am living every teenage boy's dream. I am getting to make love to the prom queen." She giggled.

"Except you are no longer a teenage boy," she reminded him.

"Yeah, I know that, but tonight I do feel like a teenage boy. I went to a high school prom. That is part of the whole teenage experience and I got to live it twice. Most people only go to one high school senior prom," he said.

"That's the advantage of dating a younger woman," she said. "Two proms for you."

He looked into her eyes. "You know how much I love you. You make me feel complete, whenever I am with you. It's like you are the other half of me. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Yes," she replied with a smile. "It's like you can't imagine that you could love someone else that much."

"Let me show how much I love you," he whispered, as he kissed her on her neck and shoulders. He reached under her and unzipped the emerald green prom dress and slipped it off. He took a look at her black lacy bra and panties. "Verrrrrrrry nice," he said. "But they are going to come off, too." As she lay there bare on the bed, she watched him as he removed his clothes. She admired the muscled contours of his body and reached out and touched his skin, which felt smooth under her touch. She pulled him down into a kiss before her small hand reached for his member and began stroking it. As she went down on him, he always gasped whenever he felt her mouth on him. He just closed his eyes, feeling himself stiffen, while her lips and tongue did their work. He reached down and ran his fingers through her hair. He decided it was time to reciprocate as he pulled her up and he went down, letting his fingers and tongue do the work. He knew what she tasted like and he loved it. He knew when he was doing a good job, when she would lay back and emit some soft moans. "Gosh, I love you, Owen Hunt," she said, after sighing with pleasure. "Come into me, now."

She used her arms to pull him up and then turned him over, as she got up on top and positioned herself so he could enter her. As he did, she began to slowly wind back and forth and around and then, up and down. "Oh, my God," he said. "Have you and Madeleine been watching porn movies again?" She burst out laughing. "Well, you know that is where we learned our best techniques." As she started building speed and rhythm, he found himself, thrusting to meet her body. He could never get enough of her. He just wanted to be as deep inside of her as he could. He loved when they climaxed together; it was like a meeting of two souls, who have known each other for eternity. With him still inside of her, she lay down on his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. He wrapped his arms around her. Life couldn't get any better than this, he thought.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for the reviews. I do appreciate them.**


	38. Chapter 38 An Old Friend

Cristina stood on the steps of the library. She was waiting for Owen. He said he was going to come and escort her to her first class. She looked at her watch. He better get there soon or she was just going to just go by herself. It would just be awful to be late at your first class on your first day of college, she thought.

Cristina was already at Northwestern for about a week, now. She had to go through Orientation last week and this was actually the first week of classes. She was living in the dorms and her roommate was Carly Mitchell from Kentucky. Carly was a brown-haired girl with brown eyes, the same shade as her hair. She was very excitable but very friendly. She was a good roommate, so far.

Owen had wanted her to move into his apartment but she nixed that idea. Her parents would never allow their 18-year-old daughter to cohabitate with someone at such an early age. It was a bitter pill for them to swallow when they found out that she was sexually active and they gradually learned to accept that. But she knew they would never agree to her moving in with Owen. He had been disappointed but he knew that they would not have agreed to that.

She checked her watch, again. Where the heck was Owen? Then she heard someone say her name. It didn't sound like Owen and when she looked around, she was right. It wasn't Owen but a tall, young man with brown hair and green eyes. He looked familiar but she couldn't place where she knew him. She would have remembered someone that tall.

"Cristina," the boy yelled, again. He ran over to her. She gave him a quizzical look. "Don't you remember me? It has only been three or four years." As she looked at the boy's face closely, she could finally see the younger version of him. When the recognition hit her, she broke out in a huge smile. "Oh, my God, Bobby Chamberlain! It has been ages." She gave him a tight hug, realizing that she only reached him, somewhere around his chest. "You have grown so tall," she said. "And you have changed. You look so much more grown-up."

"Yup, I never thought I would get this tall. I probably was a late bloomer. I am six foot four," he said. "So you're going to Northwestern, too."

"Yeah," she said. She looked at him like if she couldn't believe he was standing there. "So how was Dubai?"

"Hot, interesting. I actually became popular for once. Since nobody knew me there, I kinda re-invented myself. I have thought of you, sometimes and wondered how you were doing. So it is just great that we meet, once again," Bobby said.

"I am sorry," she said. "For what?" he asked, puzzled.

"I wished I had been a better friend. We seemed to drift away when we stopped contacting each other during sophomore year," she said. "I am sorry for that. We just lost touch."

"Yeah, well, don't worry about that," he said. "We were living different lives, meeting different people. These things happen. People drift apart."

"Well, let's make up for that. We can be friends, once again," Cristina declared. "Let's do that, especially now that we were both freshmen here at Northwestern."

From a distance, Owen could see Cristina talking to a tall boy. There was something familiar, yet still unfamiliar about him. He had promised her that he would take her to her first class and he was running a little late. He rushed across to where Cristina and the tall boy were.

"Hey, sorry I am late," he said, giving her a kiss on her mouth, before taking a look at her companion.

"Owen Hunt?" the boy said. Owen took a second look at the tall, young man. "Bobby? Bobby Chamberlain?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, I am glad that you recognized me. So you two finally got together. That's great."

It was rare that Owen had to look up at someone but he had to with Bobby, since the younger man was four inches taller. He did remember how much Bobby had liked Cristina and how they were rivals for her affection.

"Yes, we did," Owen said, putting his arm around Cristina's shoulder. He looked at his girlfriend. "We better head to your class, now, so you won't be late."

"Yes, yes," she agreed. "I am heading to English 101, one of those foundation courses we have to do. So, I will see you later, Bobby."

"Really? I am going to that class, too," Bobby said. "I will walk with you guys." Owen gritted his teeth, as he heard Cristina say, "Sure, that would be awesome. We can catch up with each other after class."

The three of them walked to the large lecture hall. It was one of those foundation courses that all freshmen were forced to do, so there were lots of people there. They scoured the room for seats. "Oh, there are two," Bobby said.

"Where, where?" Cristina said, not seeing the seats.

"There," he said, pointing across the hall. "It pays to be tall. We can see things before other people can. Let's grab those before anybody else gets them."

"Okay," Cristina agreed. She gave Owen a quick kiss before she and Bobby disappeared into the crowd of freshmen. He stood at the doorway for a moment. Of all people to show up, why must it be Bobby Chamberlain? Owen felt like he was in high school, once again. He watched them take their seats, before he left. He went to his first class of his senior year.

After class, he was going to work a shift at the library. He gave Cristina a call to remind her that he would not be available for lunch.

"That's okay," he heard her cheery voice say. "Bobby and I are going to grab lunch, together and catch up. We have so much to talk about. I really want to hear about his life in Dubai. It sounds really interesting. So talk to you later." She hung up and he found himself, staring at the phone. It really was like high school, once again.

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><p>Later that day, he waited for her at his apartment. She was supposed to come over at 5 p.m. but she hadn't shown as yet. He gave her a call but she didn't pick up. It was at 6.30 p.m. that he heard the key in his apartment door. She came in and dropped a bag of books on the floor and dropped her schoolbag on the sofa. She came and lay on the bed next to him.<p>

"Hey," she said. "How was your day?" He was not happy with her. "Not a very good day," he answered.

"Why?" she asked.

"You tell me," he replied. "Where were you and why are you late?"

"Oh, Bobby and I went to the bookstore to stock up on our reading lists. When you're among books, you kinda lose track of time," she said. "Sorry about that."

"So why didn't you take my call?" he asked. "I called and you didn't answer."

"You did? I didn't hear anything. Oh, shoot, I remember. We had to put our phones on silent during the lectures," she said. "I just forgot to put it back on. I am sorry."

"So you spent the whole day with Bobby," he asked, a little icily. She caught the tone in his voice, immediately.

"Yes, we have a lot of classes together, so we are going to form a study group with some of the other folks, who have the same classes," she said.

"Hmm," Owen said, rather drily. "So he has become your new best buddy here." Cristina certainly did not like his tone. She got up from the bed and picked up her schoolbag from the sofa and her bag of books from the floor.

"Where are you going?" he asked, as it was clear that she was about to leave.

"Back to the dorms," she said. "I will see you when you are in a better mood." He didn't try to stop her, as she left. He didn't feel that he had done anything wrong. She was the one who came late.

As she walked back to her dorms, she felt she really hadn't done anything wrong. She and Bobby had just got excited about school and lost track of time at the bookstore. She had apologized, hadn't she? There he was, giving her a whole lot of attitude. She was still deep in thoughts, when a car pulled up next to her.

"Hey," Bobby said. "Why are you walking here by yourself? Didn't I just drop you off at Owen's apartment building?"

"Yeah," Cristina said. "I am going back to the dorm. He seems to be in a foul mood."

"Sorry about that. Do you want to have dinner with me? I am just heading down to that Thai place. I want to check out if it is good. Gotta start looking for good places to eat, when you're studying," he said, laughing.

"Yeah, it is good. Owen had taken me there, a couple of times," Cristina said. "You know what? I think I will. I will get to my readings, after dinner." She jumped in the passenger seat and threw her schoolbag and bag of books into the back seat. "Let's go, Bobby."

Back in his apartment, Owen was reading his assignments. He made himself a sandwich and decided to have that for dinner. If Cristina had stayed, he was going to get some food delivered. He wondered where she was. It had been a full two hours since she left. He had been waiting for her to call him but he couldn't take it anymore and called. The call rang a couple of times before it went to voicemail. She still had her phone on silent mode. He groaned. He should have stopped her from leaving. He just wanted her to be with him. This was not the way he had envisioned their time together at college to be like.

He left a message. "Sorry about my mood today. I was feeling a little bit jealous since you were spending the whole day with Bobby. And then you came late and I got mad. Please call me." He waited and waited but there was no call.

After having a great time at dinner with Bobby, they headed over to the coffeehouse where a lot of students hung out. They met up with a couple of their classmates there and then, someone started this conversation about life and their place in society as young people. The conversation got extremely animated and Cristina found that she was really enjoying herself. She looked over at Bobby, who was excitedly making a point. She realized that he had changed from when she knew him as a boy. It was a good change because now, he was a confident young man.

When it was close to midnight, he turned to her. "I will drop you off at your dorm. Got to go to my dorm, too." It was a good thing the dorms were close by and they got there in a couple of minutes. "See ya," he said, as he drove off.

"Yeah, tomorrow," she said. As she went into the building, she didn't notice the SUV parked a little away from the entrance. But the person inside the SUV noticed her. Owen watched as Cristina got out of Bobby's car. He had been waiting for her to come home so he could apologize about how he acted, earlier. Her roommate, Carly, had told him that she had not come in as yet, so he had decided to wait for her in the car park.

He sat in the car, stewing at what he had just seen. So after she left his place, she had gone out with Bobby. So not only did she spend the entire day with Bobby, she also spent the night out with him. He was angry; he was jealous; he could not even think at this point. He knew if he went up to her dorm room, he would say things that he was probably going to later regret. He decided to do the best thing he could, right now.

He turned the ignition and drove off.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave your reviews.**


	39. Chapter 39 The Break-Up

Cristina woke up with a start. She had a class at 8 a.m. She should not have stayed out that late, last night because she was finding it hard to get going this morning. She brushed her teeth, took a quick shower, dragged on her jeans and pulled on her clean shirt. She picked up her school bag and her phone and headed out of the door. Her roommate, Carly was still fast asleep, when she left.

On her way to her class, she listened to her messages. One of them was Owen and his apology. She tried to call him back but there was no answer, so she left a message. "Thanks for the apology. Going to class now. Talk to you later."

Little did she know that Owen had chosen not to answer. He stared at the screen when her number popped up but he was still in a funk from last night. He got up from bed, got dressed and went to his first class. After his first class, he sent her a text message, asking her to meet him in her apartment at lunchtime, if she could. He got back a quick one-word reply, "Okay."

He headed home, picking up a couple of sandwiches on the way. As he got home, he tossed his bookbag on a chair and collapsed on his bed, as he waited for his girlfriend. He perked up when he heard the key in the door.

"Hey," she said, as she came in. She dropped her schoolbag on the couch and came and lay down next to him. It was almost like déjà vu because she had done exactly the same thing the day before.

"I got your message," she said. "Your apology is accepted."

"So what did you do after you left yesterday?" he asked. He was testing her to see whether she would lie to him. He already knew what she had done.

"Oh, I met up with Bobby and we went out to dinner at the Thai place and then we went to the coffee house and met up with some of our classmates and had some lively discussions," she said. He knew she was telling the truth but it didn't bother him any less.

"I saw you come home, last night. I was waiting for you in the car park of the dorm. Your roommate told me that you weren't home, so I waited for you," he admitted. She looked at him in surprise.

"So why didn't you come out of your vehicle?" she asked.

"When I saw you come out of Bobby's car, I was mad, really mad. I knew if I had stayed I would have said things that I would probably later regret. So I left," he said. "I had to leave so I could calm down."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she said, sitting up and turning to look at him. "Why do you always react this way? It's like you have this serious jealous streak within you."

"I can't help it," he said. "I get very jealous when I see you with other guys. I always imagine the worst," Owen said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Really!?" she spat out, as she got up from the bed and started pacing. "So the worst is what? That I am cheating on you, Owen? You think that I want to sleep with every guy I talk to. If that was the case, I would be a total whore. Is that what you think of me?" She was extremely angry.

"No!" Owen said. "I would never think that you are a whore."

"Well it sure sounds like it," she said. "Why are you so jealous? Are you afraid I am going to leave you for some other guy?"

"Yes," he said, softly. "I am always afraid of that."

"It's like you don't trust me at all!" Cristina yelled. He blinked. It was true. To some extent, he didn't trust her. Her dating history when they were apart, was always at the back of his mind. It was the reason that he got so drunk when she was contemplating other schools. He was afraid that she was going to see other guys.

Cristina noted that he didn't say anything. The realization that he didn't trust her hit her like a ton of bricks. She scoffed, loudly before she spoke, "Oh, my God. You really don't trust me at all!"

Owen said nothing, which made Cristina even more angry. "If you can't trust me, then we might not as well be together. There will always be guys in my life. I can't avoid them. They are half of the population. So, I met Bobby, again, yesterday. So you thought I would be screwing him because once upon a time, he and I dated for a brief moment in ninth grade."

"What do you mean – not be together?" he said. "Are you talking about breaking up?"

"Well, the basis of any relationship is trust and you clearly don't trust me," she said. "You think I am going to run off with some guy. So what is the point?"

"But we are meant to be together, Cristina," he pleaded.

"Well, certainly not the way you are acting," she said. "The jealousy and the lack of trust are just killing me, here. I don't think we should see each other for a while." Owen felt his heart was breaking at her words.

She picked up her book-bag. "I have a class in a bit. I have got to go. Goodbye, Owen." She slammed the door and left. Owen lay back on his bed, the tears flowing freely down his face.

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><p>Cristina went to her class and sat next to Bobby. He smiled at her but she didn't smile back. Her fight with Owen was bothering her a lot. Bobby gave her a questioning look. She shook her head.<p>

"What's wrong?" he whispered. She didn't really want to talk about it, so she simply said, "I had a fight with Owen."

"Oh," Bobby said, knowing well enough not to prod any further. The professor came in and started talking but Cristina really wasn't listening. Her mind was far, far away with thoughts about Owen. Her eyes started to fill with tears. She didn't want to cry in the middle of class. She started sniffling. Bobby looked at her, sympathetically. He dug in his bag and pulled out a box of tissues and handed it to her.

She was grateful for them. She blew her nose, loudly and attracted some attention from the students in front of her, who looked around.

"Allergies," she lied, as she blew her nose, again and wiped away her tears.

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><p>After Cristina left, Owen couldn't eat his lunch and put away the sandwiches in the refrigerator. One of the sandwiches had been for Cristina. He left his apartment and went to his afternoon class. Like Cristina, he did not really feel like listening to the professor. He was too preoccupied thinking about his girlfriend. Oh, God, he thought, she was not his girlfriend, anymore. His ex-girlfriend. She had actually said that they should not see each other for a while. How could she even think like that?<p>

After that rather unproductive class, he headed down to the library to pick up his evening shift. He would be working until midnight. Helping him on the desk was Serena, another senior. She gave him a grin until she noticed his morose expression.

"Hey," Serena said. "Why do you look like that? You look like if your dog died."

"I am having a few personal problems," he said, hoping that would shut her up.

"Oh, girlfriend problems," she said, knowingly. "Your little freshman girlfriend, right? Glossy dark curls. I saw you with her during Orientation Week."

"Yes," Owen said. He didn't want to say anymore on the subject. "Let's just get to work. We have a long shift ahead of us."

"Okay," Serena said. The redhead had always fancied Owen. He was a football player but he was also smart and good-looking, too. She had thought he was gay because he never dated any girls while he was at Northwestern. It was only when she saw him with the tiny, dark-haired Asian girl that she knew the reason why he never dated.

Owen tried to keep himself busy all evening. He checked his phone for any missed calls or messages from Cristina but there was none. He sighed, every time he checked. Serena knew that he was probably checking to see if there was anything from his girlfriend. She felt sorry for him.

At the end of the shift at midnight, Serena turned to him. "You wanna grab some beers?" He was going to turn her down but then he thought that he was just going back to an empty apartment. Cristina would not be there to spend the night.

"Yeah, why not?" he said. He grabbed his bag and headed to a bar that was frequented by a lot of students. They were carded at the door before they were let in. He could never bring Cristina there, since she was only 18. They would have to get her a fake ID for her to be able to get in, he thought. He laughed at himself because he was still thinking of Cristina and getting her a fake ID. It was hard not thinking about her. Thoughts about her infiltrated his every waking moment.

They found themselves a corner booth and ordered the first round of beers. When the waitress brought the beers, they clinked glasses and said, "Cheers." As he took in his first gulp, he just felt like drinking his troubles away.

* * *

><p>Cristina was in her dorm, tossing and turning in her bed. From the other side of the room, she could see her roommate reading under a desk lamp.<p>

"Carly," she said. Carly turned around. "I am sorry, am I bothering you? I am trying to get some reading done for class tomorrow."

"No," Cristina said. "I just can't sleep." She felt like crying again.

"Why? What's the matter?" Carly asked. She gave Cristina her full attention.

"Just some boyfriend problems," Cristina said. She wanted to talk to someone about it. She would have talked to Madeleine about it, but she was halfway across the country in Massachusetts.

"Ah, the blonde hunky guy that came here, last night," Carly said, remembering the handsome, young man who had asked for Cristina.

"Yeah, his name is Owen. I broke up with him, today," Cristina said, softly.

"You're kidding?" Carly said in disbelief. "You broke up with that hottie."

"Yeah," Cristina said. "We had a huge fight today. He is always jealous when I talk or hang out with other guys. It is a really bad jealousy streak in him. If he is so jealous, that clearly means that he doesn't trust me. And what kind of relationship can you have if one party doesn't trust the other?"

"Logically, I guess that is true," Carly said. "But you love this guy, right?"

"Yes, with all of my heart," Cristina said. "We have been together like forever."

"How long have you know him?" Carly asked, curiously.

"I met him when I was 4. He was my older brother's best friend. We started dating when I was 14 and he was 17. Then, when he turned 18, my father didn't want me dating him because he was an adult and was goiing to college. We started sneaking around again when I was 16 but we were caught a little after my 17th birthday. After that, my dad relented and we have been together, ever since," Cristina explained.

"Wow, that is a lot of history you two have. You met him when you were 4? It must be true love for him to keep sticking around all those years," Carly said. "Are you sure that you did the right thing by breaking up with him?"

"I don't know," Cristina admitted. "I really don't know. If we weren't broken up, I would probably be at his place, now. I don't know if I made a mistake."

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><p>Owen rubbed his eyes as the light streamed in from the window. He had a tremendous headache. He clearly had drunk too much last night. He pushed away the flowery blue curtain that was in his face. What the heck, he thought. Where was he? He did not have any flowery blue curtain in his apartment. He only had blinds on his windows. He was definitely not in his apartment.<p>

With great trepidation, he looked to his left and when he saw the red-headed girl next to him on the bed, he knew where he was. What the hell had he done?

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave your reviews. I do appreciate them.**


	40. Chapter 40 Remorse

Owen needed to get out of there. He found his pants, t-shirt and jacket on the floor. He could not even remember taking those off. Oh, God, what had he done? He dressed in seconds. He panicked, slightly when he heard Serena murmuring. All he knew he had to get out of there.

He scrambled out of the front door and down the stairs of her walk-up building. His heart and head were both pounding but for different reasons. His head was throbbing because of that intense headache he had from the drinking. His heart was hammering against his chest with the realization that something transpired the night before, since he had found himself in Serena's bed.

As he got out of the building, his first thought was his SUV. Where the heck was it? Then, he remembered. He had parked it at the bar. It was a good thing that the bar was close to where Serena lived, as he walked the couple of blocks. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the vehicle. His knapsack was still in it. He jumped in and headed straight to his apartment.

When he got home, he stripped off all of his clothes and went straight to the shower. He wished he could just wash away everything that happened last night. How could he have been so stupid? How could he expect Cristina to take him back after what he had done?

He didn't even like Serena in that way. She was just a co-worker at the library. They weren't even friends, really. Sometimes, they just worked the same shift and they talked. That was it; there was no feeling, no emotional connection.

When he came out of the shower, he stared at himself in the mirror. He was disgusted by what he saw. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin looked paler than usual. He checked his body for any marks. Luckily, there was none.

He got dressed in some clean clothes and headed down to his vehicle to drive to school. He realized he had not done any readings for today's classes and he hoped the professor would not call on him to answer any questions. The sun seemed so bright and it hurt his eyes. The last time he drank himself into oblivion was when Cristina was making the decision on what school she was choosing. And he did it again last night with really bad consequences.

He parked his vehicle and made his way to his class. He saw the flash of ebony curls from the corner of his eye. He sighed. She was there, walking with Bobby. He could not help but smile at the contrast in their heights. Still, he could feel the jealousy building up in him. Cristina was right about his jealous streak. He could not bear the thought of her being with another guy. But now, they were broken up because of it. He watched her with sorrowful eyes.

Cristina noticed Owen watching her. He had the most mournful expression on his face. She felt sorry for him but she knew she had to be strong. Owen needed to do something about his jealousy and his insecurity. She wasn't doing anything to make him jealous. She didn't look at other guys and she only wanted to be with him. Why couldn't he understand that? When he was in his jealous mood, he would throw sarcastic comments and sometimes, say mean things. She hated that. He needed to realize that there was no reason for him to be jealous. She loved him and because she loved him, she couldn't help but give him a winsome smile.

His heart leaped when he saw her smile at him. He was filled with so much joy. She still loved him, as much as he still loved her. Then, he remembered what he had done, last night. Then, he was filled with so much self-loathing. How would she ever forgive him for doing such a thing? He wasn't good enough for her, he thought. He walked to his class and tried his best to concentrate on what the professor was saying and not focus on the mess that he had made of his life.

He was grateful that he was off from working in the library, today. He could not face seeing Serena at the present time. He knew, eventually, he would have to face her but he needed a little time to pass. He had football practice, this afternoon, anyway. Cristina had promised to come and watch him from the stands but he knew she wouldn't do it, again, since they were now broken up.

Broken up - he tossed the words over and over in his mind. If they were broken up, then his indiscretion with Serena last night was not cheating, he tried to rationalize. Technically, he did not cheat on Cristina because she had broken up with him. People would probably say that it was okay because they were on a break. That sounded like the lamest excuse in the book. He knew that even though he and Cristina were broken up, he would definitely not want her to sleep with someone else. He, therefore, had no excuse. In his heart, he knew this break was only temporary. They were meant to be together. They were soulmates from the very first day he saw her.

At football practice, he tried to keep his mind on the drills but his thoughts usually wandered off with the images of a small Asian girl.

"Damn it, Hunt, where is your head today?" Coach said.

"Sorry, Coach, I am just a little distracted, today," Owen apologized.

"A little. More like a lot," the coach said. "Just keep your head on the drills or you could get hurt out here. Do you need a time out?"

"No, sir," Owen said. He stood up and stretched. He looked across at the stands. Did his eyes deceive him? He could never mistake that head of curls anywhere. She had come to see him practice. Next to her was Bobby but he didn't mind that at the moment. She still came to see him practice. She still cared.

Cristina and Bobby sat in the stands, each of them nursing a hot drink in their hands. Cristina had tea, while Bobby was sipping on hot chocolate.

"So tell me again why are we here?" he asked.

"I promised him I would come and see him practice," Cristina said. "So I am doing that."

"But you broke up with him, right?" Bobby said. "Surely that means you don't have to come and see him pratice." Cristina looked at him with pained eyes. "I promised him and regardless of the fact that we are broken up, I always keep my promises," she said. "You could leave if you wish."

"Don't get so snitty," Bobby said. "I told you that I would keep you company. So while we are watching a boring football practice, maybe we can talk about something more interesting."

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" she asked. "I am all ears."

"Well, are there any cute girls you can introduce me to?" he asked. "Remember I am starting over. I left all of my cute girls behind at the International School in Dubai." Cristina laughed. "Well, remember I am just starting here, too, so I don't know much people other than you, Owen and my roommate, Carly and a couple of the folks we met at the coffee house but I don't know them very well," she said. "What about my roommate Carly? She is cute, got nice brown hair, big brown eyes. Sweet girl."

"Okay, but is she tall?" Bobby asked. "You know we would have to look compatible, height-wise."

"Well, she certainly is taller than me by a lot. She is five foot ten," Cristina said.

"Perfect," Bobby said. "Introduce me. That's one of the reasons I could never date you, Cristina Yang, you are just too short. The only time we were compatible height-wise was when I was 15. Why couldn't you have grown a little more?"

"I tried, Bobby. I tried my very best to grow," Cristina laughed. "Well, walk me back to the dorm and I will introduce you to Carly."

"It's a deal," Bobby said. They both continued to look at Owen's practice for another half-hour before they left. She made sure to wave at Owen so he would know that they were leaving. He put up his hand and gave her a slight wave. He felt so gratified that she came when she said she would.

* * *

><p>The next day, he had an early shift at the library. He wondered if Serena was working that shift. He spotted her red hair, immediately. He groaned. He hoped he could avoid her if he could, so he found himself, stacking books into shelves. He worked like an Energizer bunny, getting everything back into their place. He got a beep on his telephone. It was a text message from Serena, asking him if he could meet her at the circulation desk because he had forgotten something at her apartment. Reluctantly, he headed to the desk, where Serena was helping someone. He waited, politely, until she was done.<p>

"Hey," she said. "I saw that you were on duty today. I'm glad. I just wanted to give you this," she said, reaching under the desk and pulling out a Chicago Bears cap.

"Thanks," he said. "I didn't know that I left it, there." As much as he didn't want to talk about it, he knew he had to do it because he didn't want her to get the wrong idea, because they had spent the night, together. It didn't mean that there was going to be something more between the two of them.

"Um, Serena, I just want to apologize for the other night," he started.

"You should apologize," she said. "You got out of there like the apartment was on fire. Not even a goodbye or a thank you."

"I am sorry about that but when I woke up, I panicked when I found myself in your bed and you next to me," he said. "I couldn't remember what happened and there I was, down to my boxer briefs, and sleeping next to you. I just couldn't believe that we did that."

Serena kicked back her head and started to laugh. Owen was puzzled. Why the heck was she laughing?

"Oh, my God, you think we had sex. I mean, yeah, we slept together in the same bed but we didn't have sex," Serena said, between giggles. "I mean you are a good-looking guy but I am not going to sleep with a guy, who is so obviously hung up over another girl." Despite the fact that she was laughing at him, he could only feel a great sense of relief come over him.

"But how did I end up in underwear and in your bed?" he asked, puzzled.

"Well, you got too drunk at the bar and I know you couldn't drive home. I would have driven you home but I didn't know where you lived and by that time, you were a little incoherent. So we walked to my apartment, which thankfully, is close to the bar. I told you that you could sleep on the couch for the night. Then, you just sat there and started to cry and you kept saying her name. Cristina over and over again.

"I figured the best thing would be to just leave you be. Then, I went into the bathroom, took a shower and brushed my teeth and when I came out, I found you stripped down to your underwear and asleep in my bed. Well, there was no freaking way I was going to sleep on my lumpy, uncomfortable couch, so I took some pillows and put it in between us and then I slept on the other side."

He gave her a grateful look. "You would not believe how much you have put my mind at ease. For the past two days, I have been killing myself, so worried that I had slept with you, wondering what I was going to tell my girlfriend. Thank you, Serena, for being a friend."

"You really love this girl," Serena said. Owen nodded. "With every fiber of my being, I love this girl. She is my life."

"I wished somebody could love me like that," she said. "Well, let me say this. If this girl is what you want, then you better make sure you get her back."

"I plan to, Serena, I really plan to," he said. He picked up the cap and stuffed it in his back pocket. He was going to give Cristina the time and space that she needed but in the end, he knew that they were meant to be.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	41. Chapter 41 Misunderstanding

It was difficult being away from Cristina. He saw her often on campus. It was hard to avoid seeing her, not that he wanted to, anyway. She usually was with Bobby or a bunch of friends. He realized he had nothing to fear with Bobby being with her because he had seen Bobby holding hands with Cristina's roommate, Carly. Clearly, Bobby was dating Carly. Cristina seemed happy enough, Owen thought but he missed her so much.

So, he worked hard both in the classroom and the football field to occupy his time. He still hung out with his friends on the football team but he didn't indulge in drinking, again. That got him in too much trouble, so he quit it, even though he was now legally allowed to imbibe on alcohol. Nothing good came out of his drinking, he realized.

Though they weren't together, she did come to all of his football games, when they were played in Evanston. When there were away games, she came to some of them but not all of them. He would see her in the stands with Bobby and Carly and it would just warm his heart.

It was at one of the home games that found Cristina, Carly and Bobby huddled together in the stands. It was a cold day and they were very bundled up, each of them with a hot drink. Next to them were two rather talkative girls. One was a redhead and the other was a brunette. The redhead was Serena, Owen's co-worker at the library with her friend, Daphne, the brunette.

"Oh my God, that guy is so hot," Daphne said. "I have seen him on campus without all of that football gear and he is Prime Grade A hottie."

"Who are you talking about?" Serena asked, scanning the ranks of the football players on the field.

"The guy throwing the ball," Daphne said. Serena laughed because she knew exactly who she was talking about.

"Oh, Owen Hunt, the quarterback," Serena said. Cristina's ears perked up, immediately, when they mentioned Owen's name.

"Yeah, is that his name?" Daphne replied. "Good to know. Do you know him?"

"Yeah, he works in the library with me," Serena said. "Do you fancy him?"

"Of course," Daphne replied, grinning at her friend. "On a cold day like this, I wouldn't mind the likes of him, warming up my bed." Serena laughed, remembering when Owen had passed out on her bed, the night he got drunk.

"He's already been in my bed," Serena said, giggling. When Cristina heard that, it was like if she had been stabbed in the heart. She glanced over at the redhead, who did not notice the sharp daggers in the eyes of the small Asian girl next to her.

"No way, Serena," Daphne said. "How was he?" Serena could not stop laughing because she fully knew that Daphne thought that she and Owen had sex. At this point, Cristina could take no more, so she got up and left. "Cristina!" Bobby called out after her. When Bobby called out Cristina's name, Serena suddenly realized who was sitting next to her. It was Owen's little girlfriend and she had heard that conversation between herself and Daphne. Serena groaned because to the uninformed observer, the conversation seemed to give the impression that she and Owen had been bed buddies.

Bobby and Carly got up and chased after Cristina, who was hurriedly making her way out of the stadium. Her face was flushed and hot tears were rolling down her cheeks. She heard Bobby and Carly calling her name but she didn't want to stop. She needed to get out of there.

Back in the stands, Daphne was still waiting with bated breath to hear the rest of the story. "So how was he?" she repeated to Serena. "Don't keep it to yourself."

"Um," Serena said, in a distracted tone, aware of what had just transpired. "When I say he was in my bed, he was actually just sleeping. We went drinking and he got drunk and passed out on my bed. That was all."

"Oh, shoot. I thought it was something more exciting than that," Daphne said, wondering why Serena had such a worried expression on her face. Serena knew that she had just created a giant mess for Owen. She had to talk to him about it.

Cristina found her way back to the dorm and collapsed on to her bed, weeping. She was still crying, when Carly and Bobby found her. They, too, had heard the conversation and they knew exactly why she was so upset. That redhead said she was sleeping with Owen. They could see their friend's heart was breaking.

Carly got into the bed, next to Cristina and wrapped her arm around the small girl. "Cristina, it's okay."

"No, it is not okay," Cristina said, between sobs. "He has been sleeping with other girls, while we are on this break."

"Well, you ARE on a break," Bobby offered, lamely. Both Carly and Cristina gave him such steely glares that he knew he had to shut up.

"Even if we are on a break, we didn't agree that we would see other people," Cristina spluttered out. "I haven't been dating and I certainly have not been sleeping with anybody. I just wanted to give him some time to think over how jealous he gets because he doesn't trust me. I guess I should be the one not trusting him."

"Well, maybe, you haven't heard the whole story," Carly said. She really didn't want to believe that Owen would do that to Cristina. From what she had seen of the guy, it was obvious to her that he loved Cristina very much.

"What else is there to tell?" Cristina cried. "She said he was in her bed. What more do I need to know?" She let out a wail, again, and buried her face into her pillow. Carly just held her roommate close and let her cry.

At the game, Owen looked for Cristina. It was a big stadium but he knew that she always sat in the same place, so he would know exactly where she was. He had seen her there earlier with Carly and Bobby but now, all three of them were gone. He couldn't understand it. He played the game, a little bit pre-occupied with thoughts of Cristina, but the Wildcats still managed to pull out a win.

* * *

><p>The next day, he waited to see her cross the quadrangle. It always made his day when he saw her face. When he spotted her, she glanced over in his direction. He smiled and gave a single wave, only to be met with a vicious stare from her. He was definitely taken aback by that look. What had he done to her? She turned away from him and refused to look at him, again.<p>

He was still contemplating it, when his phone beeped. It was a message from Serena, which read, "I need to talk to you. Are you on shift today?" He replied with a curt message, "No, tomorrow." She texted back, immediately. "It is important. See me when you come in to work." He wondered what could be so important that Serena needed to see him. "Okay," he texted back. He headed to his first class, wondering what was bothering Cristina.

The next day, he found himself, taking an early shift at the library. He had just taken off his coat, when he got a message from Serena. "Are you here? I am at the circulation desk." He replied, "Yeah, what is wrong?" Another text came from her. "I think I have made a huge mess and I need to tell you about it." He was puzzled. He and Serena were not really close friends, so why would she need to tell him about some problem she was having. He texted back, "Okay, I will see you in a bit."

He made his way to the circulation desk and was met with a most rueful-looking Serena. "Hey, what's the matter?" he asked, a little concerned about her expression.

"I think I have made your life a lot worse," she said. "How do you mean?" Owen asked. Serena was getting him a little bit anxious.

Serena let out a big breath before she continued. "Let me start from the beginning. My friend, Daphne and I were at the football game, the other day. She said that she thought you were hot and that she wouldn't mind having you in her bed. Now mind you, we were laughing and acting like fools. So I told her that you were in my bed."

"What!" Owen said, a little bit loudly for the library environment. "I hope you explained the circumstances of that situation and straightened out any misconception."

"I did tell her the truth and said that you were drunk and passed out in my bed," she said. "But Daphne is not the problem. What I didn't know at the time, while I was telling this story was that your girlfriend, Cristina was sitting on the other side of me."

"What!" Owen said, even louder. "Did she hear your explanation? I am hoping that she did."

"That's just it. When she heard that you were in my bed, she just got up and left. I am pretty sure she was crying. Then, her friends left. So, no. None of them heard the explanation," Serena said in an apologetic tone. "I am very sorry, Owen."

It explained everything, he thought. That brutal look she gave him yesterday, when he waved at her. She must think that he was the worst boyfriend ever. If she believed this, then she would never come back to him.

"Thank you for telling me, Serena," Owen said. "But I would appreciate if you never mention this incident to anyone else, again. I know nothing happened between the two of us but it is so easy to get it misconstrued."

"Yeah, I know better, now, Owen," she replied. "Again, I do apologize." Owen sighed. He desperately needed to speak to Cristina. He knew her class schedule and he figured he would just go across to the dorm to see her. She probably would not be in the mood to take his calls so he would just have to go across there and plead his case.

As he was returning to his assigned position in the library, he bumped into Carly, Cristina's roommate. She had a disgusted look on her face, when she saw him and just walked off. "Just great," he said to himself. "Everybody thinks I am a skeeve." He didn't really care about anyone else thought, just Cristina. He had to make it right.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until late in the afternoon could he go over to the dorm. He knocked on the door. "Who is it?" he heard her say.<p>

"It's me, Owen," he said. "I need to speak to you." He heard her scoff, loudly. "Well, I certainly don't need to speak to you, Owen Hunt."

"Please, Cristina," he pleaded. "There has been a misunderstanding and I need you to hear me out."

"Well, okay, go ahead. Say what you have to say," she said. "Then, get out of here. I don't want to see you, anymore." He looked around and noticed several other residents, looking interestedly in his direction, wondering what was going on.

"I need to say it to your face," he said. "Please open this door. There are too many people out here and honestly, it is really none of their business." There was silence, so he knocked again. Finally, he heard the lock click as she opened the door and reluctantly let him in. As he stepped inside, he was grateful that Carly was not back as yet. They could have some privacy while they discussed it.

"Okay, so I let you in. Speak quickly so I can throw you out, afterwards," she said, as she flung herself on to her bed. She was prepared to cry, all over again.

"I think you seem to think I had sex with another girl," he said. As he said it, the tears started coming down her cheeks. It had hurt her so much. He went and sat on the edge of the bed. He went to hold her hand but she pulled away.

"It isn't true, Cristina. I didn't have sex with Serena," he said.

"So that is the slut's name," she said, sobbing. "She said you were in her bed."

"That part is true," he said, as her body started to heave. "But I didn't have sex with her."

"Then why were you in her bed?" she asked.

"I was drunk. She is somebody I work with at the library. We went out drinking and I got drunk because I was so depressed about you. I couldn't drive home, so she took me to her apartment. She told me that I was crying and saying your name. She went to the bathroom and when she came back, I was passed out on her bed," he said. "You could even ask Serena. She will corroborate my story."

"That's all?" she said. Her sobbing had subsided a bit.

"Yes, Cristina, that is all," he said. "Nothing happened. Please believe me. You are the one that I love and I wouldn't do my darndest not to betray you."

"Okay," she said. "Alright. Just to let you know that I haven't been dating anybody while we have been apart."

"Yeah, I know. I trust you," he said. "You do?" she said, incredulously. She had been waiting for him to say those words to her for a while, now.

"Yeah," he replied. "So now that we have got all of this straightened out, I was wondering if you think it is time we get back together. We are so miserable without each other. Please."

Without saying a word, she rose from the bed and took his face into her hands and gently kissed his lips.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to do so.**


	42. Chapter 42 A Place to Live

Cristina groaned as she woke up. She cuddled up next to her boyfriend, who was still asleep. She looked at the time and shrieked. "Oh, God, oh, God, they are going to be at the dorms, any minute, now." She jumped off the bed and started putting on her clothes. Owen rubbed his eyes and stared at his tiny girlfriend, struggling to put on her jeans.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked. "Who is going to be at the dorms?"

"My parents! They are coming to visit me in the dorms. They haven't been there since they dropped me off. They just want to see how well I am coping with dorm life. Thing is I haven't been to the dorms in a week because I have been sleeping here," she said, as she put on her bra and pulled on her shirt.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Carly. "Are they there?" Cristina yelled into the phone.

"Yes, they just arrived," Carly said. "They're asking where you are."

"Oh, my God," Cristina said. "They would see that my bed is properly made up and that I haven't slept in it."

"Well, they definitely know that you haven't spent the night here," Carly said. "Right now, they are having a conversation with Bobby. Seems they haven't seen him, since he was 15, so they are catching up, now."

"Oh, my God," Cristina shrieked, again. "You mean they caught you with Bobby."

"Yup," Carly said. "Knocked on the door, while Bobby and I were busy doing the nasty."

"Well, if they caught Bobby there, then they definitely know that I didn't spend the night, there," Cristina said. "Because I wouldn't be there if you and Bobby were spending the night, together. Oh, gross. I am coming soon. I will get Owen to drop me off." She hung up the phone and pushed her boyfriend off the bed. "Get up, get up. You have to drive me to the dorms. My parents are there. They are probably interrogating Bobby, now."

Owen groaned as he got up from the floor. He found his underwear, jeans and pulled on his shirt. "Can I brush my teeth?" he asked. "I don't want to greet your parents with morning breath."

"Yes, yes, that is a good idea," she said, as she ran into the bathroom and started brushing her teeth. She washed her face, too, making sure to wipe away any sleepiness from his eyes. He was greatly amused by her frantic movements. He calmly brushed his teeth and washed his face, while she stood there, tapping her foot, waiting for him to finish.

"Okay, now, I think I am presentable," he said. She ran out of the apartment and rushed out to the elevator, frantically pressing the button. "Come on, come on, you dumb elevator," she said. The elevator came; she leapt into it and glared at him, as he took his cool time to get into the elevator. They got out of the building, with her running to his vehicle. "Open it," she commanded. He pressed his alarm and she scrambled into the front passenger seat. He got into the driver's seat and had to laugh because her very wild hair had not been brushed that morning and it was pointing in all different directions.

"What are you laughing at, Owen?" she said, sternly. "Nothing, baby, nothing," he said. In a way, he was glad that this had happened. He wanted her parents to be aware that Cristina was no longer a little girl. In the eyes of society, she was 18 and therefore, a grown-up. She was practically staying in his apartment every night, though now and then, she still stayed in the dorm.

They got to the dorm and Cristina pelted out of the SUV, while Owen was still trying to park. "Cristina!" he yelled at her. She could get hurt, getting out of the car, while the vehicle was still moving. But she didn't hear him, as she had already gone. He shook his head and parked. He passed Bobby and Carly in the hallway, trying to leave the room, as quickly as possible. They gave him a sympathetic look, as they passed him. When he finally made it to Cristina's room, he could hear her father talking to her.

"So, Cristina," he heard Mr. Yang say. "Am I wasting money by paying for this dorm room? Am I?" Owen noticed Cristina not saying anything and just staring at her feet. Stanley noticed Owen standing at the doorway. "Ah, Owen, I see you are here. At least, I know where Cristina obviously spent the night."

"Yes," Owen said, firmly. "She stayed the night with me." Cristina gave him a sorrowful look.

"And I gather from Bobby that you have not spent the night here for the entire week," Stanley said. Bobby had such a big mouth, Cristina thought. "I can well imagine what he and your roommate have been doing in this room for the week. I must say I am surprised to see him here. I didn't know he had come back from Dubai."

"Yes," Cristina replied. "He started Northwestern the same time as me. I think his family is still over there, though."

"Hmm," Stanley said. "So tell me what do you have to say for yourself? Am I wasting my money here, paying for this dorm room?" Cristina was silent.

"Sir, if I may interject," Owen said. "It is true that Cristina spends a lot of time with me, since we are a couple. She spends a lot of time at my apartment, since we do like to be together. I was wondering, if next semester, she could just live with me. I will just take care of her."

"Live with you?" Helen was aghast.

"Well, she is practically doing that, anyway," Owen said. "And you could save money on the dorm room." He knew that would appeal to a practical man like Stanley Yang. He could actually see the change in the older man's expression.

"But she is still a young girl," Helen said. "Only 18. To be living with a man at that age. What would people say?"

"Well, it is not like if you don't know me," Owen said. "You've known me since I was a child and you know that I have the best of intentions when it comes to Cristina. I hope that someday, I will be able to make her my wife. She is everything to me."

The Yangs all looked at him, each with a surprised expression. Stanley and Helen never thought so far about Owen and Cristina's relationship, so they were a little shocked that this young man could be speaking so far into the future. Cristina, too, was surprised by Owen's declaration. She gave him a huge smile. He wanted to marry her. Deep down inside, she always knew that but to hear him say it aloud, in front of her parents, made her feel so loved.

"I will have to think about this," Stanley said. "It is not the most ideal thing to have your 18-year-old daughter moving in with a man. I will let you know by Thanksgiving, when you both come home for the holidays."

"Yes, sir," Owen said. At least, he made his case for having them live together. To him, it made all the sense in the world. Cristina was at his apartment, most of the time, anyway, when she wasn't in classes.

"Cristina, we're going to breakfast. That's why we came early, so we could take you to breakfast," Stanley said. He looked at the young man. "Owen, you could join us, if you are free."

"I think I will, sir," he said. "Thank you." The Yangs left the room, followed by Owen and Cristina. He took her hand into his, intertwining their fingers together. He whispered to her, "I think your father is becoming more reasonable, as he gets older. Two years ago, he would have thrown me out of there."

"I guess he knows that I am growing up and that you love me," she said. "So you really want to marry me?"

"Yes, don't you know that?" he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Yeah, I did, but it was night to hear you say it," she said. "I think my dad was taken aback by that, though."

"He needed to know that I was serious," Owen said. "Serious as a heart attack."

"That is a terrible analogy," she said. They both laughed.

* * *

><p>It was at Thanksgiving that Owen was awaiting Stanley's decision. The Hunts were over at the Yangs for Thanksgiving. All of the Yangs were there, including Garrett. During dinner, Garrett made the announcement that he had been offered a job at a high tech company in Silicon Valley and would not be returning home, after he graduated in June. This was much to the dismay of his parents. Owen hoped that this bit of news would not have negatively affect Mr. Yang's decision.<p>

It was after dinner that Stanley called George and Owen into his study for a little chat. "Have a seat, Owen." Owen sat down, very nervously. His legs were shaking.

"Your father and I have discussed your little proposal that Cristina move in with you. We have discussed it at length and we both know that you are a responsible young man. We have decided that it would be okay for Cristina to move in with you," Stanley said. George gave his son a huge grin.

"For real?" Owen said. "Thank you, sir. Thank you, dad. I can't wait to tell Cristina."

"One thing, though. When you go back to school on Sunday evening, I will accompany you. I want to check out your apartment to see if it is suitable for my daughter," Stanley said.

"Oh, okay, Mr. Yang," Owen said. He desperately hoped that his apartment would pass muster. He ran out of the study to tell Cristina the good news.

* * *

><p>On Sunday evening, Owen in his SUV and Mr. Yang and Cristina in his vehicle headed to Evanston to check out Owen's apartment. Owen opened his front door with a fair amount of trepidation because he had remembered that he had not cleaned up the apartment, before he left to go home for Thanksgiving.<p>

Mr. Yang stepped inside and gave a disapproving eye to the messy surroundings. "Good Lord, Owen, do you expect my daughter to live in this hovel?"

"Um, it's not that bad, sir. When I clean it up, it is pretty decent. I forgot to clean it up before I went home," Owen said. Mr. Yang shook his head, as he went around the entire apartment, noting all of the things that he did not like about it. Owen felt bad, but he didn't think that his apartment was all that terrible. He had seen worse student apartments than his own.

"Owen, this will not do," Mr. Yang finally said. Owen's heart fell. "But I am willing to work with you, here. When is your lease up on this place?"

"At the end of December. I am supposed to renew," Owen said, wondering what Mr. Yang was going to propose.

"Okay, that works out fine. I need you to find a better apartment than this. I will put up my share and I am sure your dad will put up his half," Mr. Yang said. "So, I trust that you will find a better apartment by the end of December, so my daughter will have a decent place to live, next semester."

"Yes, sir," Owen said. Cristina mouthed the words, "I am sorry." But Owen didn't mind. His apartment was good enough for him, but it was probably not good enough for a girl like Cristina.

"Well, okay then," Mr. Yang said. "I expect you to find something after you finish your finals. Please allow me to see the place before you sign any lease."

"That will be fine, sir," Owen said. "Well, then, I am going to take Cristina to the dorm," Stanley said. "Goodbye, Owen."

"I will call you," Cristina said, as she left. Owen looked around at his apartment. Perhaps, he was too close to it to see it, objectively. He started picking up the clothes off the floor.

* * *

><p>After finals, he feverishly began looking for a new apartment. The pickings were slim but he was making an all-out effort. Then, he found the place. It was an apartment with large picture windows and bamboo flooring and a den. It was beautiful and clean but the price was steep. He wondered if their parents would be willing to pay that much. He called his dad and Mr. Yang to come see the place before a lease was signed.<p>

Both men arrived together, and started silently examining the apartment. George went into the bathroom, while Stanley inspected the fittings in the kitchen. All Owen could hear was "hmmm."

After a while, they came out to the living room to chat with Owen. "So this place has a den. This is good. You can study in there," Stanley said.

"It is a good place, Owen," George said. "But that price is rather steep."

"I know, dad. I could try and get a second job and pitch in," Owen said. "I really think Cristina would like it here." George and Stanley looked at each other and nodded.

"No need for you to do that, son," George said. "Stanley and I will cover the rent. So the lease is for six months, until you graduate, correct?"

"Yes, dad," Owen said. "Then I have to find a job."

"I won't have to find Cristina a place to live until August," Stanley said. "So everything works out fine. So this is a go, son."

"Thank you, dad. Thank you, Mr. Yang," Owen said, grinning.

When the two men left, they were both chuckling. "Did you see how much he was sweating, when we were inspecting the place?" George said, laughing.

"Yeah," Stanley said. "It is good to torture them, once in a while, given the amount of pressure they give us."

Owen stood in the middle of the apartment and spun around. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed his girl. "We have a place to live." Cristina squealed with delight on the other end.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for the reviews. It is always good to hear what you think.**


	43. Chapter 43 The Argument

Owen led a blindfolded Cristina to the apartment. She had not seen the new apartment as yet, since he didn't want to show her it, have her fall in love with it, and then have their parents disapprove the place. He opened the door and led her in. He had already moved in whatever furniture they both had and tried to furnish the place as best as he could.

"Okay, we are here in the middle of the apartment. I am going to take off the blindfold, now," he said. As he did so, he yelled, "Ta-da." She rubbed her eyes, as the light streaming in through the picture windows temporarily blinded her. She looked around. "Wow, Owen, wow. Look at all of the light from those windows. The windows are huge. Great improvement from your dinky one-bedroom apartment."

"Hey, hey, do not diss my old apartment. We had a lot of good times, there," he said. "The only reason we got this big, beautiful apartment is that your dad didn't want you living in the old place." She started inspecting everything – the kitchen, the bathrooms, the bedroom and the den.

"This place is beyond awesome," she said. "I am sure it was expensive." He nodded. "Yup, that is true by my dad and your dad agreed to split the cost of the rent. I even offered to get a second job so I could help pay some portion of it but they said it was okay."

"So how long is the lease for?" she asked.

"Six months from January to June. I graduate in June," he said. "After that, I have to find a job and a new place to live."

"What about me?" she asked. "I will have to move out of here?"

"Yes," he said. "But don't worry, your dad said he would find a new place for you before you get back into school for September." When he said it, it made them both aware that they were not going to be able to live with each other after June because they didn't know where Owen would get a job.

"It is a lovely place, Owen but there is one thing that I don't like," she said.

"What?" he said, a little bit alarmed, since he had already signed the lease contract.

"Our furniture looks so darn old in it," she said. She shook her head. He laughed. "That's because we're so used to seeing it in the dinky apartment that it doesn't look all that great in this fancy, new apartment. But we're going to have to live with it, Cristina. Neither of us has the money to buy any new furniture and with our dads already paying our rent, food and utilities, they are not going to spring for any new furniture," Owen reminded her. She sighed, loudly.

"Cristina, the furniture may not be all that great but that's not the point. The point is that we have our own place, even though temporary, it is still ours and we get to live together, without anybody objecting," he said.

"You are right," she said and went to give him a hug. He enveloped her in his arms and they hugged for a bit. He buried his face in her hair. "Do you want to christen the place?" he asked, with a wicked smile.

"Christen the place?" she looked up, a little puzzled. He cocked his left eyebrow until she finally caught on. "OH," she said. "That's what you mean." He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom, where they appropriately christened their apartment. As they lay there, naked, she whispered, "Why don't we christen another room in the apartment?" He laughed.

* * *

><p>They were moved in a full two weeks, when Owen noticed something about Cristina. She used to drop everything, everywhere. As soon as she came in, she dropped her book bag near the door and then proceeded to remove her clothes, as she made a trek to the bathroom for a shower. He had picked up after her, hoping that she would notice that he was doing so. He was getting tired of picking up all of the dirty clothes off the floor, when he decided he needed to confront her about it.<p>

He was laying on the couch, reading his textbook, when he heard her keys jingling in the lock. Hmm, he thought. "Let's see what she is going to do," he said to himself. As she came in, she dropped her school bag, gave him a "hey, Owen" before she started to strip off her clothes and headed to the bathroom in their room. He shook his head as he watched the trail of clothes on the floor. He decided he was not going to pick it up, as he usually did because he wanted to know if she would notice. He continued reading his text book.

Half an hour later, she emerged from the bedroom, her hair was wrapped in a towel and she had changed into her pjs. She seemed not to notice that the clothes were still on the ground and went straight to the kitchen to look for something to eat. He watched her, as she took out a plate and filled it with food that he had left on the stove for her. She sat at the table and polished off her dinner. Still, she had not noticed anything. When she was through, she lay back on her chair, seemingly satiated. She looked at him, watching her and gave him a sweet smile. He tried his best not to smile back at her. It was so hard to resist her but he fought it. He needed to make a point.

He gave her a stern look. "What is that look about?" she asked.

"Have you not noticed something about the living room?" he asked. She looked around the entire room and wondered what he was talking about. "No," she answered. He scoffed. "What is the first thing that you do whenever you come home in the evenings?" he asked.

"I take a shower and have my dinner," she said. She was really starting to exasperate him. "Before that?" he said, his voice starting to get louder. "When you open the door and come inside the apartment, what do you do?" She finally realized what he was trying to get her to say. "I drop my school bag near the door and start taking off my clothes," she answered.

"A-ha," he said, triumphantly. "And when you drop your bag and strip off your clothes, everything ends up on the floor." She looked at the trail of clothes. He hadn't picked them up as he usually did. "You didn't pick them up."

"Yes, I did not pick them up, Princess Cristina. When is it my role to pick up after you? I am your boyfriend, not your maid," he continued in his loud tone. "You have to pick up after yourself. I know you are probably used to your mom or Carly picking up your stuff, but I am not going to do that, anymore. You are 18 years old; you are supposed to be able to pick up after yourself." She didn't like his tone and she felt that he was harshly criticizing her. She wished that he would stop but he didn't.

"What if your dad or my dad shows up here and does a surprise inspection and then they find all of your dirty clothes on the floor," he yelled. "They will say that they are paying all this money for this apartment and we can't even keep it clean." Cristina frowned. "I do recall that when we went to your apartment aftter Thanksgiving, your apartment was not the cleanest and my dad got mad about it," she said. "So you are no saint, either, when it comes to keeping things clean."

"You are making my point here, Cristina," he said, loudly. "I learned my lesson from that and besides that was an anomaly, I normally clean up but I was in such a hurry to go home for Thanksgiving, I just left it to clean up after I came back. It was just my bad luck that your dad came to see the apartment." Cristina's lips drew into a thin line. She didn't like the way he was yelling at her. She didn't say anything. She picked up her dishes, washed, wiped and packed them away. Then, she went into the living room and picked up her schoolbag and carried it into the den. She also picked up her trail of clothes and deposited them into the laundry basket in their bedroom. He expected her to return so they could continue talking but she did not. He opened the bedroom door and saw that she was already in their bed. Cristina had her eyes, tightly closed. He gently closed the door and returned to the living room to finish reading his chapters.

An hour or so later, he was starting to feel tired, so he went into the bedroom, brushed his teeth and crawled into bed, next to her. He moved closer to her and pulled back her hair to kiss her neck. She opened her eyes, gave him a severe glare and then picked up her pillow and left the room. Geez, he thought, she was clearly still mad. Cristina trudged into the den and got into the day bed that was in that room. As she snuggled under the covers, she was still bitter. How dare he think that he could shout at her like that and expect loving right afterwards, she thought. He had to be out of his mind. The door of the den opened and she could see his silhouette in the doorway. "Cristina, come back to bed," he pleaded. She pretended to be asleep and did not move, until he went away.

The next morning, he woke up and realized he was still alone in their bed. He brushed his teeth and went out to the living room. Cristina was already up, fully dressed and eating a bowl of cereal. "Hey, you're up," he said. "Let me get dressed and I will take you to school."

"Don't bother," she answered, in a flat tone. "Someone is coming to pick me up." She then got a text from that someone, which she read and promptly erased. She finished up her bowl and washed it before putting it away. She picked up her schoolbag and opened the door to leave. "Bye," he said. "I will see you in school." She said nothing and closed the door. He looked out of the window and watched her get into a car he did not recognize. It wasn't Bobby who had come to pick her up, as he had expected.

He did not see her in school for the entire day, plus it seemed like she was ignoring his calls because it kept going to voicemail. In the evening, she came home and did not drop her bag to the floor. "Hey," he said, brightly. "I didn't hear from you, all day." She shrugged, as she headed to the den to drop off her bag. She then disappeared into the bedroom to take a shower. He noted that she had not stripped and dropped her clothes on the floor. That was an improvement, he thought. After half an hour, she came out of the bedroom, dressed in a fresh pair of pajamas.

"There is dinner on the stove," he said. "Spaghetti and meatballs." She ignored him and took out the cereal box and disappeared into the den with it. He knew she was probably doing an assignment because he could hear the click of her fingernails on the keyboard of her computer. Surely, she had to come out of there, sometime. He got tired of waiting and went to bed. When she was sure the light in the living room was off, she came out of the den and brushed her teeth in the guest bathroom before she went back to the den for the night. It was the second night that they were sleeping apart.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Cristina left early. Her friend, Michael, came to pick her up again. Michael lived only two blocks away and was in one of her classes and he was nice enough to offer her a ride in the morning, when she needed it.<p>

Owen got up, feeling very alone in their bed. He went out to the living room and since he didn't see her there, he knocked on the door of the den. "Cristina, we cannot continue like this. We have to talk. Please." There was no reply, so he opened the door to find that she was not there. He let out a big breath. It didn't make any sense calling her, he knew. She was not taking his calls. He wouldn't even see her tonight since he was working the late shift.

By the time he came home that night, it was close to midnight. He switched on the lights in the darkened apartment and headed to the bedroom. As expected, the bed was empty. He was tired of this. He undressed and took a shower, allowing the warm water to run over him and soothe his tired muscles. He changed into his pjs and decided he was going to have it out with Cristina. They could not continue like this. He went to the den and opened the door. She was asleep but he was going to wake her up. He sat on the edge of the day bed and shook her awake. She woke up with a start.

"What's the matter?" she said, sitting up, immediately. "Is there a fire?"

"We need to talk," he said. "This has become unbearable. You have been ignoring me, pretending that I don't exist and I don't want this to continue. Tell me what you want and I will do it."

Cristina fell back on the bed, turned away from him and silently, started to cry. He knew she was crying and wanted to comfort her, so he got in next to her. It was an extremely tight fit with the two of them on the day bed. He put his arms around her. "Just tell me," he said. "Is it because I told you to stop throwing your clothes on the floor?" She continued to cry. "Cristina, you have to help me out here. Talk to me. How will I ever know how to fix it if you don't talk to me? We are not roommates. We are a couple living together, so we have to learn to talk things out."

Finally, she spoke. "It was less about what you said to me but how you said it. I understood about picking up after myself but it felt like you were being super-critical. Then, there was all of the shouting," she said. "You kept yelling at me."

"I am sorry, baby," he said. "I am sorry if I hurt your feelings. I probably should have got my point across without all of the shouting. But when something bothers you, you have to say something. The clothes on the floor was bothering me and I needed to tell you. Maybe, I went about it the wrong way but I wanted you to pick up after yourself. If the way I spoke to you was bothering you, then you should have told me so. It would have saved me the lonely nights in our bed. I have been miserable without you."

"Okay," she sniffled.

"So let's go back to our nice, big bed because I am obviously too big for this day bed," he said. He got up and held out his hand. They walked hand in hand back to their bedroom. As they got under the covers, he said, "Now isn't that better?" She murmured, "Yes."

"Weren't you miserable without me, too?" he asked, as he pulled her closer. "Not really," she replied, with a grin.

"Take that back," he said, as he tickled her, mercilessly. She could not stop giggling. "Stop it, Owen. Okay, I take it back. I was miserable and lonely without you. Now, stop tickling me."

He wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Cristina."

"I love you, too," she said, as she yawned and went to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts.**


	44. Chapter 44 Valentine's Day

After their first major fight in the apartment, they had settled down into a comfortable routine, with which they could both live. Cristina was no longer a little slob and picked up after herself. She was still a little messy here and there like when she forgot to wash a glass she had used but those were things that Owen could abide. He just loved living and being with her, all of the time.

Valentine's Day was coming up and he wanted to make it special to make up for the huge fight. He asked her what she wanted to do and she told him that she really didn't care if they did anything. That was not what he wanted to hear. He was a born romantic. He loved the candlelit dinners, the red roses and the walks by the lake. He figured his unromantic little girlfriend probably would prefer eating pizza by the fireplace. She was going to get romantic, whether she liked it or not. He was a determined young man. Valentine's Day was going to be special.

"So we're going out for Valentine's Day. I already made reservations at this restaurant," he told her over breakfast. She looked up. "I told you that we didn't have to do anything for Valentine's, Owen," she said. "My marketing professor says it is just a ploy created by the corporate world so that they can make money off the poor, unsuspecting men, who feel so guilty that they must buy flowers and candy and take their wives and girlfriends out to dinner."

"Oh, good grief," Owen said, throwing his hands up in the air."Your professor is the Valentine's day Grinch."

"Well, he does make sense. It is all a big, giant marketing strategy. Why should be we celebrate this day of love when poor St Valentine himself died on this day? Nobody even remembers that," Cristina said. Owen rolled his eyes. All he wanted to do was spend a romantic evening with the girl he loved and all he was getting was resistance and the thoughts of a marketing professor.

"Who is this guy?" Owen asked. "I think I may attend one of his lectures to see what is his beef with Valentine's Day. When is your next lecture?"

"Today, at 9 a.m. You are welcome to sit with me during it. His name is Paul Lavery," Cristina said. "Marketing 101."

"Fine, I am free at that time, I will come with you," he said. Who was this man making his 18-year-old girlfriend think like this?

* * *

><p>It was a large room because it was one of those courses that many freshmen did. Owen and Cristina found two seats in the middle of the hall. When Professor Lavery came in, Owen noticed that all of the girls perked up, immediately. He looked at his own girlfriend. She had this goofy smile on her face. What the what? He watched as the Professor laid down his briefcase on the desk in the front of the room. "Hmm," he thought. The Professor appeared to be in his 40's with dark brown hair that was graying on the sides. His eyes were blue and they crinkled on the sides, when he smiled. Owen grudgingly admitted that the professor was a good-looking man and his graying sideburns made him look even more distinguished. No wonder all of the little freshmen girls liked him.<p>

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Another full class, I see. Always gratifying as a teacher to see that. I do see that we have a visitor amongst our midst. Mr. Owen Hunt, our Wildcats quarterback, what are you doing in a freshman marketing class, since I do know that you are a senior?" Lavery said. Why did Lavery had to point him out? All these freshman eyes turned to look at Owen. Cristina grinned at Owen's discomfort. Regardless of the fact that he was a senior, it was always uncomfortable when a professor called you out in class.

"My girlfriend suggested that I sit in," Owen said, taking Cristina's hand into his and squeezing it. She squeezed back, for which he was grateful.

"Ah, young Miss Yang. She is one of my brightest students," Lavery said. Cristina blushed but gave her professor a beaming smile. "So why in particular did Miss Yang want you to sit in, Mr. Hunt?"

"Oh, she was just telling me some of your ideas about Valentine's Day, as I was planning our Valentine celebration, this year," Owen replied. "Sure put a damper on things."

"Ah, Owen, don't tell me you are a slave to what corporate America tells you about what you should do on a particular day for your girlfriend or wife. It is the same deal with Mother's Day, Father's Day and even Christmas," Lavery told him. "The big companies all guilt you into thinking that you must single out this one special day to buy lots of gifts for your loved one. And if you don't, there will be all those resentful feelings from the particular loved one, whose day it is."

"But isn't it all about the marketing?" Owen asked.

"Exactly," Lavery answered. "Corporate America has it down to a science, now. We are forever trapped by it. We shell out the big bucks on Valentine's Day and we all get the warm and fuzzy feelings, and we do it again, the next year and the year after that. In the end, nobody even knows who St Valentine was. Do you understand the point, Owen?"

"Yes, Professor Lavery," he said. "But the warm and fuzzy feelings sure make up for it."

"Then, I can say that retailers have certainly won you over," Lavery said. "So let's get to today's lecture, shall we?"

Owen said, "Hmmm." He looked across at his girlfriend, as she listened intently to her professor. If she was going to pretend that she didn't care about Valentine's Day, he was going to do it, too. He was going to treat it, like any other day.

* * *

><p>As they ate their breakfast on the morning of Valentine's Day, Cristina waited for him to acknowledge what day it was. When he didn't, she was a little taken aback. Owen loved the big occasions and would go all out for days like this. He smiled at her and dropped her off at school. She had been expecting flowers or chocolates but it seemed none was forthcoming. He told her that he was picking up an early shift at the library. Still, there was no mention of any Valentine's day celebration. She watched him, as he walked away.<p>

It was a hard day for Cristina. She kept seeing other girls with their boyfriends, getting flowers and candy. People were kissing, right in front of her. She met up with Carly at lunchtime at the student cafeteria.

Carly had six red roses, next to her. They were obviously from Bobby. "I see you got your roses," Cristina said. Carly nodded. "Bobby just gave them to me. He is such a wonderful boyfriend. What about you?"

"Oh, Owen hasn't given me anything as yet," Cristina replied. "I think he's saving it for tonight, when we go out to dinner."

"Yeah, that is probably it," Carly said. "Your Owen is one romantic guy."

"Yes, he is," Cristina said, comforting herself with the fact. "He is certainly that." The two girls had their lunch, then Carly shared her box of chocolates that she had received from Bobby. Cristina hoped she was getting her chocolates, later, too.

When she got home that evening, she found Owen reading a book in the living room. "Hey," he said. "Glad you are home. I got us some pizza because I didn't feel like cooking." He pointed to the large pizza box on the kitchen counter.

"Pizza?" she said in disbelief. "Yup," he said. "I got the kind that you like, too. See I do think of you." He went back to reading his book. She looked around the entire room, hoping to see a sign that he was at least thinking of Valentine's Day. But the apartment looked exactly the same, as when they left that morning. No red roses, anywhere. She went into the bedroom. There were no rose petals on the bed. She took a shower and as the water flowed over her, she started to cry. She was so disappointed. She had even had her pretty red dress dry-cleaned in anticipation of going out to dinner for Valentine's. She could not believe that Owen took Professor Lavery's words to heart. She never expected that. He was always one to make the big fuss about days like this. She never realized how much she looked forward to it.

She came out of the bathroom, controlled her sobbing, changed into her nightshirt and went out back to the living room. She picked up two slices of pizza and sat at the table and ate, very silently. Owen looked at her and he felt sorry that he was putting her through this. But she needed to learn a lesson that days like this were special and needed to be celebrated. It was about the love that they felt for each other and there really was nothing wrong with that, despite what a marketing professor said. The warm, fuzzy feelings were what they were all about.

He was going to make it up to her but he wanted her to know how it felt when the celebration wasn't there. It was killing him but he had to stay strong. After she ate her dinner, she sadly went to the bedroom and lay down on the bed. She cried herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, she got up and found herself alone. Owen was already up. She could hear him in the kitchen. She brushed her teeth and was going to head out to the living room for her breakfast. But she was stopped by Owen coming into the room with a breakfast tray, complete with pancakes and maple syrup, juice, coffee and a vase with a single red rose in it.<p>

"What is this?" she said with a smile.

"Breakfast in bed. Happy After-Valentine's day, Cristina," he said. She crawled back into bed and he placed the tray over her legs. She held on to his face and kissed him. "Thank you, Owen."

"So how was yesterday?" he asked, with a grin, knowing full well she had been miserable.

"It was one of the worst days of my life," she said. "Everywhere I turned, guys were giving girls flowers all over campus. I didn't have anything. Even Carly had chocolates and flowers. When I got home, I thought we were going to dinner at the restaurant, which you said you had made reservations. Then, all I got was pizza. I cried, yesterday."

"Oh, I am sorry that you cried," he said. "I didn't want you to feel that bad. But I wanted to prove something to you. I wanted you to miss Valentine's Day and everything that we usually do."

"Yeah, it worked," she said. "I couldn't believe that you would take what Professor Lavery said to heart. You love Valentine's Day and you didn't do anything. Next year, you can do whatever you want for Valentine's Day. I will be up for it. Please." He laughed. "Thank you for giving me the full rein to do whatever I want for Valentine's Day from now on," he chuckled.

After breakfast, she got ready for school and left the bedroom to be surprised by a huge banner over the living room fireplace, saying, "Happy After-Valentine's Day!" On the table was a vase with a dozen red roses in it. "Thank you, Owen," she screamed, as she hugged him.

"Tonight, you can wear your red dress. We are going out to dinner, tonight," he said. She grinned up at him.

* * *

><p>Later that night, they had their dinner at a fancy new restaurant. "This place is beautiful," she said.<p>

"Not as beautiful as my date," Owen said. "I always love that red dress on you." She smiled at him. "Beautiful girl, can I have this dance?" He led her to the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while he held her around her waist. As they gently swayed to the music, she whispered, "This is the best after-Valentine's Day." He kicked back his head and laughed.

"You know what?" she continued. "Professor Lavery admitted today that he also took his wife out to dinner, yesterday. He said if he didn't, he would have been in the doghouse. He said he also bought flowers and chocolates. He even admitted that he loved making his wife feel special."

Owen laughed. "Cristina Yang, are you getting the warm and fuzzies, right now?"

"Yep, I am," she said. "I love the warm and fuzzy feelings. I love you, Owen."

"I love you, too, Cristina," he said, as he bent down and kissed her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for leaving your reviews. I do appreciate when you take the time do so.**


	45. Chapter 45 Spring Break Part 1

"I don't want you to go," Cristina said, pouting.

"But it is the last hurrah for the senior guys on the football team," Owen said. "It is just the six of us heading down to Panama City for spring break."

"I know what happens during spring break. Everyone's inhibitions are gone and people have a lot of empty hook-ups with people they hardly know," she said. She was not happy about this. She thought they would have just gone home for the week and spent time with their families. She knew that wasn't exciting but she thought it would have been a nice break from studying and school.

"Cristina, you just have to trust me," he said. "I am going. I already told the guys that I would."

"Hmph," she said, as she stormed out of the apartment. He sighed. He wished she could understand why it was important for him to hang out with the guys, one last time. He was a senior, now and it was going to be his last spring break, ever. She didn't understand that, he thought. After all, she was only a freshman. He packed up his suitcase with all of the stuff that he would need for his week in Panama City, especially lots of sunblock. With his fair skin, he could not afford to get sunburned.

After packing up, he went to school. It seemed that everyone was going somewhere for spring break to escape the cold weather in Evanston. Well, almost everyone. Not Cristina, who was going home for the week. Secretly he was pleased that she was going home, so he didn't have to worry about her, while he was away. If she was at home with her parents, he knew she was safe.

He was going to head out, that very night with the guys. They were going to take a plane out to Florida. Charlie from the team was passing by to pick him up. He hoped Cristina would come home before he left. He looked at his watch. He wanted to say goodbye to her, even though he knew she was not happy about it.

He perked up when the apartment door opened. "Hey," he said. "I am glad that you are home. I want to say goodbye to you. I know you are not pleased about it but I have to do this."

She looked at him and smiled, "It's okay, Owen. You can go on your trip with the guys from the football team. It's fine." She was carrying a large shopping bag with her. Apparently, she had done some shopping and he wondered if some retail therapy had made her feel better.

"Really? You have been giving me grief for the past three days and all of a sudden, it is fine?" he said in an incredulous tone.

"Yes, Owen. Go and have a great time. Make some memories. It will be your last spring break," she said. He came and gave her a hug. "I am so glad you finally understand, Cristina," he said, grinning. "It means so much to me."

He continued, "So is your dad coming to pick you up tonight?" She shook her head. "What? You're staying here in the apartment for the week?" She shook her head, again. He was puzzled. She released herself from his arms and headed to the bedroom. He followed her and watched as she took out a suitcase. She opened her drawers and started packing underwear, nightshirts, jeans, t-shirts and short skirts and glitzy tops. He was becoming alarmed but no more so than when she opened her shopping bag and started pulling out some of the teeniest bikinis he had ever seen. She packed them in her suitcase.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked. She looked up from her packing and nodded.

"Where?" he asked. She didn't answer for a minute because she was busy with the packing. "Um, Puerto Vallarta," she finally answered.

"What!" he was shocked. "I thought you were going home for spring break."

"I was," she said. "But Carly asked me if I would like to go to spring break with her and a bunch of other freshman girls. Apparently, one of the girls had to drop out since her grandma got sick. So Carly invited me and since you're going to Panama City, I thought that it would be a good break for me if I go to Puerto Vallarta with the girls."

"I am not leaving the country," he noted. "You're going to Mexico. Did you tell your parents? What did they say?"

"Oh, they told me to have a good time," she said. That did not sound like the Stanley and Helen Yang that he knew but maybe, they were changing. He had hoped that they would have objected to such a trip, especially since he knew that they were very protective of Cristina.

"They actually said that?" he said, confused. "Yup," she said brightly. "They said that I had to grow up, sometime."

"Hmm," Owen said. "Let me help you pack." He dug into her drawer and pulled out a modest black one-piece swimsuit. "Here, put this in your suitcase," he said. She laughed, raucously. "You have got to be kidding me, Owen. I can't wear that. I would be laughed off the beach. Besides, I haven't worn that, since I was 16." He quietly put back the swimsuit back into the drawer. That was the kind of swimsuit he wanted her to wear, not those scraps of fabric that she had obviously bought, in response to Carly's invitation. Damn that Carly, he thought. He knew he could not object to her going to Puerto Vallarta, since he had been insisting for the past three days that he was going to Panama City with the guys for spring break.

"So, your phone will still work in Puerto Vallarta, right?" he asked.

"I guess but I don't think I want to use it, much. The roaming charges will kill me," she said. "I don't think dad would be too happy with that." She was essentially telling him that he was not going to be able to call her. Half an hour ago, he was so excited about his guys' trip. Now, he was willing to give it up and stay home with Cristina.

Her phone rang and she answered. "Okay, Carly, I will be right down." She hung up her phone and looked at him. "Well, the girls are here, Owen. We're heading to the airport." She closed her suitcase and checked her handbag that she had her wallet and travel documents. "So I am going now," she said, as she tiptoed and gave him a kiss. "Have a great time, Owen. I will see you in a week." He was just stunned by the turn of events. He sat down on the edge of the bed, still trying to sort it all out in his mind.

* * *

><p>Cristina was very excited to be going to Mexico. As she sat in the car headed to the airport, she thought about the day's events. She had been so mad when she left the apartment, that morning, because Owen was going to Panama City for spring break. Then, she got the call from Carly about going to Puerto Vallarta. It only took her 30 seconds to say yes. If Owen could go, then she could, too. She called her parents and told them that she wasn't coming home for spring break. She told them that she was going to study at the apartment. That was her first lie. She knew that they would not agree to going to spring break, especially out of the country. Then, came her second lie. She lied to Owen and told him that her parents had said it was okay for her to go. She had mixed emotions about lying to him and to her parents but she didn't want to be stuck at home, when Owen was having a great old time in Florida.<p>

Back at the apartment, Owen closed the door to leave, as Charlie had come by to pick him up. He got into the vehicle. "Hey, Owen, are you ready for Panama City?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Owen said, a little unenthusiastic. "What the hell, Hunt?" Bart said. "Is your little girlfriend still giving you hell about coming with us? She has to learn that we guys need our time away from them."

"Nope," Owen replied. "She surprised me. She told me to have a good time because she said she was headed to Puerto Vallarta with a bunch of girls."

"Whoohoo!" Larry said. "She is going to have a better time than we are!" Owen gave him an evil glare before he answered. "That is what I am afraid of," he said, sadly.

* * *

><p>When Cristina and the other girls got to their hotel in Puerto Vallarta, they oohed and aahed about the view from their rooms. They were directly on the beach and had a particularly great view of the ocean. "It's beautiful," Carly said. She and Cristina were sharing a room for this trip.<p>

"Yes, it is," Cristina said. She flopped on to her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She was still feeling guilty about lying to the most important people in her life. Carly could sense something was wrong with her former roommate.

"So how did Owen take it – this sudden trip?" Carly asked, wondering if that was the cause of the worry.

"Nothing really," Cristina said. "It's not like he could say anything. After all, he was also going on his trip." Then she laughed. "Oh, he did try to make me bring this ugly one-piece swimsuit I used to wear, when I was younger." Carly laughed. "I guess he wanted to make sure you had everything covered," she said.

There was a knock on the door. It was Amber, one of the other girls. "Cristina, Carly, just to let you know that we are going to grab some dinner then hit one of the clubs. So girls, we have to dress hot. We don't have to worry about getting in because legal drinking age is 18 in Mexico. So bring on the tequila." She laughed, as she left.

"I guess tonight will be the first night I try an alcoholic drink,' Cristina said. "Me, too," Carly said. "Well, as Amber says, bring on the tequila." They both laughed.

* * *

><p>When Owen and his gang reached Panama City, they checked into their hotel. There were lots of other spring breakers there. They were loud and noisy and seemed ready to party. Owen threw his suitcase on his bed. "Going to take a bath," he told Charlie, who was sharing the room with him.<p>

"Man, why are you in the dumps? This hotel is party central," Charlie told him. "Is it about your girlfriend?"

"Yes, it was just so sudden," Owen said. "Cristina is not the party type, so for her to just announce that she was going to Puerto Vallarta, just does not seem like her."

"That little girl has you totally wrapped around her finger," Charlie said. "I think you are more worried about guys making moves on her, more than anything." Owen sighed because he knew it was true.

* * *

><p>The six girls found themselves in this rather popular nightclub. It was so popular that the line outside it was very long. However, they were pulled out of the line and given entry into the club. "See," Amber said. "Six hot girls in short skirts and very tiny tops are always ahead of the game." Cristina looked around. She had never been in a nightclub before. She was fascinated. The pounding music seemed to make her insides vibrate.<p>

"Let's get something to drink," Carly said. "Going to order at that bar."

"Hold it, Carly. We are six hot chicks," Amber said. "Let's see if we can get guys to buy us drinks."

"Is that safe?" Cristina asked. "They could put something in it. I saw it in the 20/20 show. You could get roofied and then you don't know what's happening." Amber shook her head at Cristina. "Don't worry about it, girl. We are only going to get the nice guys to buy us drinks," Amber said, as she headed to the dance floor.

Carly and Cristina looked unsure about that, as they watched the other girls starting to mingle with some guys. "I don't want guys buying us drinks," Carly said. Cristina agreed. As the only two girls in serious relationships, it just didn't seem right. "I will get us something, Cristina," Carly said. "If they want guys to buy them drinks, that's their deal. You stay here. You're too short. You will be lost in the crowd." Carly disappeared into the crowd and headed to the bar, leaving Cristina alone.

"Why don't you dance?" she heard a deep voice behind her say. She turned swiftly around to see a cute guy with chestnut brown hair.

"I am just waiting for my friend," Cristina said. "She's gone to get me a drink."

"You want a drink?" he asked. "I can get you a drink."

"No thank you," Cristina said. "I am fine."

"Oh, you don't trust me," he said. "You should trust me, cutie. I am a good guy."

"I don't know you, so I shouldn't trust you," she replied. At that same moment, Carly returned with two beers.

"Ah, I see you got a drink," he said. "I am going to mingle a bit. If you want to dance, you can always join me on the floor. Toby is the name." He glided off to the dance floor.

"Who is that guy?" Carly asked. "Didn't you hear?" Cristina said, with a laugh. "Toby is his name." Carly looked at the guy, who was now dancing with two girls, but he was still staring at Cristina. He gave Carly an uneasy feeling.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for being kind enough to leave your reviews.**


	46. Chapter 46 Spring Break Part 2

Cristina lay on the beach in one of her new tiny bikinis that she had bought. It fit her slim body very well. If Owen had seen her, he would have immediately covered her up with a towel because he would have felt that too much skin was showing. She laughed a little when she remembered the one-piece bathing suit that Owen had wanted her to bring.

The laughing hurt because her head was still buzzing. Last night was the first night she had ever drunk any sort of alcohol. She had only two beers and she started to feel light-headed. Carly and Cristina went home after that. Neither of them was good at processing alcohol, so they both passed out in their beds in their hotel room.

Cristina found herself on the beach, the next day. She still had a buzz going on but the heat of the sun made her feel a lot better. She was wearing a huge pair of dark sunglasses because the brightness of the sun hurt her eyes. She was only there for a week, so she had to soak up as much sun as possible, before returning to the cold, grey skies of Evanston. Carly had forgotten her sunblock and had gone back to the room to get it, so Cristina was all alone. Her eyes were closed but she was aware that someone had sat down next to her in the chair next to hers. She just assumed it was Carly.

"Did you get your sunblock?" she asked. She was startled when a male voice answered. "I already put on my sunblock." Cristina turned her head and raised her sunglasses. It was that Toby guy from the night before, the one who wanted to buy her a drink and to dance with her. She hadn't been wrong that he was cute. He was still cute in daylight, too.

"Oh, hi," she said. "How are you?" She had decided to be polite.

"Oh, I am doing fine. I saw that you and your friend ducked out there last night, really early," Toby said.

"Oh, we're not used to drinking that much, so we just crashed in our hotel rooms," she said. "I guess you stayed until the wee hours of the morning."

"It is spring break, after all. Time to party and let it all hang out," Toby said. "Oh, by the way, in my mind I refer to you as Asian princess but I know that isn't your name. What's your name?"

"Helen," Cristina said. It was the first name that came to mind. Her mother would be squirming all now, if she knew that Cristina had just used her name.

"Ah, beautiful name," Toby said. "Like Helen of Troy."

"Exactly," Cristina said. She spotted Carly in the distance, returning. "I think you have to vacate that seat, Toby. My friend is coming back for it." Toby looked around and saw Carly briskly walking towards them.

"I see," Toby said. "So are you going to the bar again tonight?"

"Maybe, I don't know," she said. "Depends on whether the girls would want to hit another place, tonight."

"Well, okay then," Toby said. "I guess I will look out for you tonight." He got up, gave Carly a wave and started walking down the beach.

Carly flopped herself on to the chair. "Why was that guy here? Isn't he the same guy from last night? Toby something or the other?"

"Yes, that is Toby," Cristina said. "I guess he recognized me and wanted to chat."

"Cristina, that guy gives me the creeps. I know he is good-looking and all that but I get some pretty bad vibes from him. You should stay away from him," Carly said. "I've dated more than you and I can tell you when a guy is bad news."

"I think he is okay. He hasn't said or done anything bad," Cristina said. Carly shook her head. "Just watch your back with that guy."

"Oh, by the way, if he is around, my name is Helen," Cristina said. "That is the fake name I gave him."

"Isn't Helen your mom's name?" Carly said, with a grin. Cristina grinned back. "Yup, it is. If he only knew who the real Helen is." Both girls laughed.

* * *

><p>That night, the six girls went to a different bar. She didn't see Toby there so it was just as well. She had another beer and decided in that instant, she was not a beer drinker. She tried a glass of wine and realized she had found her alcoholic beverage of choice. She only had two glasses of wine because she knew that was all she could handle.<p>

The next day, she and Carly were again laying out on the beach. Toby came by, again. Carly gritted her teeth. He chatted with Cristina for 15 minutes before walking back down along the shoreline. "What is it with that guy?" Carly said. "I guess he likes me," Cristina replied.

"You have a boyfriend, Cristina," Carly reminded her. "A big, handsome guy, who would do anything for you."

"I am not doing anything," Cristina said. "He talks to me and I am being polite and I talk back to him. That is all."

"Hmm," Carly said. The two girls went back to sunbathing.

* * *

><p>In Florida, Owen was having a good time with the guys of the football team. They did go to the beach and went out to few parties. He had a few beers but he knew not to over-indulge, given his history of "interesting" behavior after drinking. There were girls, who were out there to have a good time, but he turned them all down, telling them that he was in a serious relationship. It was at those times that he thought about his girlfriend and what she was doing in Mexico. He missed her terribly. He still could not understand how her parents had allowed her to go to Mexico, knowing how over-protective they were of her and given how sheltered a life that she had led. He knew that even though Cristina was 18 years old and technically, an adult, her parents had a lot of say in her life. He consoled himself that in a couple of days, they would be back home in Evanston and he could kiss her, all he wanted.<p>

* * *

><p>It was their fourth night in Mexico and they were to leave in three days. So far, the girls had tried three different bars and tonight would again be a new bar. Cristina was tiring of the bar scene. In fact, she was ready to go home. Of all the things they had done on this trip, she had preferred the sightseeing and the beach. She had bought a couple of things, including a t-shirt for Owen.<p>

"Gosh, do we have to go out tonight?" she asked Carly, as they got dressed to go out with the other girls.

"Come on, Cristina, we can't stay in the hotel. They already think that we are both wet blankets and they shouldn't have brought us on this trip," Carly said, brushing out her hair. "God, I miss Bobby so much."

"I miss Owen, too," Cristina replied. "I will be so glad to be out of here in three days. Guys keep hitting on me, thinking that since I am on spring break that I want to hook up. Does everyone feel the need to have one-night stands on spring break? Out of the six of us, only you and I are the only ones not to have hooked up."

Carly laughed. "Well, I think our boyfriends would be very angry, if we did. Come on, Cristina, let's meet the girls in the lobby." They went down and met the four other girls, who were waiting impatiently in the lobby.

"What took you guys so long?" Amber asked. "We have been waiting here for about 15 minutes."

"Sorry about that," Carly said. "We can go, now." They piled into the van they had rented and headed to their latest bar destination. This bar turned out to be actually on the beach, which Cristina was happy about. She could go walk on the beach, if she got tired of the bar scene inside.

The other girls made quick work of chatting up some guys in the bar. Carly had gone to the restroom and Cristina was standing in a corner, waiting for her. A familiar voice said, "Hello, Helen." She jumped because she was startled, especially when he called her Helen. She turned and looked at him. "Oh, hi Toby."

"So we are finally in the same bar, once again," he said. "A happy coincidence for me."

"Yeah, well I never know where we're going to end up for the night. The other girls in my group are the ones, who make the decision about where we go," she said. "My friend and I just go along for the ride because this is our first spring break."

"Oh, well. I see you don't have a drink. Can I get you one?" he asked, smiling. There was something a little bit off about his smile, she thought. Maybe Carly was right. There was something a little creepy about him.

"No, thank you. My friend will probably bring me something to drink," she said.

"You still don't trust me, do you?" he asked.

"Um, I have a boyfriend. A serious relationship, actually, so I don't think I should be accepting drinks from guys," she told him.

"Oh," he said. "Well, I guess I better get on my way, then."

"Well, okay, goodbye," she said, glad that the encounter was over. She watched him walk away, breathing a sigh of relief.

Carly came back from the restroom. "The restroom was like a zoo," she said. "The line was so freaking long. I almost thought I had to go into the men's restroom. So what's been happening?"

"Oh, Toby was here," Cristina said. "I set him straight that I had a serious boyfriend, so I don't think he will be coming around, anymore."

"That's good," Carly said. "That guy was giving off some bad vibes, no matter how good looking he was."

* * *

><p>After an hour of dancing and drinking, Cristina found that the bar was getting a little bit stuffy, so she told Carly that she was going to take a walk out on the beach to get some fresh air. Her friend nodded. "I will join you in a bit. I like this song, so I want to hear it out."<p>

Cristina gratefully left the stuffiness of the bar and went out to enjoy the cooler air of the beach outside. She took off her shoes and walked with them in her hand. As she walked, the noise from the bar seemed to diminish. It was just her and the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline. It felt so soothing. The serenity of the moment was broken by an angry male voice.

"So you've been leading me on?" Toby said. Cristina turned around, swiftly. Since she was alone with this guy in a deserted part of the beach, she was afraid.

"No, I haven't," she said, looking around. "I have been very polite to you. You spoke to me, so I just spoke back to you."

"Really?" he said, coming closer to her. "You knew I was hitting on you. Oh, you girls are all the same, always leading on a guy and never delivering."

"What? I never promised you anything," Cristina said. "I was just being nice to you." She backed away from him because he was getting too close for comfort. "I think I am going to head back to the bar. My friends are waiting for me." She needed to get out of there, fast.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back in a swift movement. "Stop it!" she screamed. "You are hurting me!" He held on to both her arms, squeezing them hard.

"You are not going anywhere. You can't walk away from me!" he yelled back at her. She continued to pull from him, but he was too strong for her tiny frame.

"Stop fighting me!" he said. He released her and she tried to run. But before she could do so, he smacked her hard across her face. She fell to the ground.

In Florida, Owen was at a bar with his friends, having some fun and laughing. Then, suddenly, the strangest, uneasiest feeling came over him. He didn't know why.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your reviews and comments. Thanks for taking the time to do so.**


	47. Chapter 47 Spring Break Part 3

**A/N: Some bad language.**

* * *

><p>Cristina knew that she had been hit more than once across her face. The pain was intense and she closed her eyes so she wouldn't see Toby hitting her. Then, it seemed like Toby was suddenly dragged off of her. "Get off her, you freaking pig!" she heard. That sounded like Carly.<p>

"Pick on somebody your own size," a second person screamed. That sounded like Amber.

"You son of a bitch," was a third voice. That sounded like Talia. Cristina opened her eyes and she could see that Toby was being punched and kicked by three girls. Toby finally broke away and ran away from them.

"Yeah, run, you asshole. Coward!" Carly screamed after him. She then dropped down on her knees. "Oh, Cristina, your face. I knew that effing moron was bad news. I could kill that creep."

"We have to get her to a hospital," Amber said. "Like now because she is bleeding." There was one question on everyone's mind but it took Talia to ask it. "Did he rape you?" she asked. Cristina shook her head. She knew she got hit but she knew she wasn't raped.

"Oh, thank God," Carly said. "Can you talk?" She looked at Cristina's busted lip and the blood on the side of her mouth. Cristina's face was covered in bruises and cuts. She looked like she had the beginnings of what could be a black eye.

"Not much," Cristina croaked out. "Hospital. I need to go to the hospital." The three girls helped her up and got her to the van.

"I am going to tell the rest of the girls that we are going to the hospital," Talia said. She ran off into the bar and returned with the two other girls, who were shocked that Cristina had just got beaten up on the beach.

The six girls headed to the nearest emergency room. They were not the only spring breakers there. There were others who got in drunken brawls and accidents or who suffered from alcohol poisoning. Carly begged the nurse for the doctor to see Cristina, saying that some guy beat up her friend. The nurse took one look at Cristina's bruised and battered face and led them to a bed. She told them that she would also have to call the police because it was an assault and photographs needed to be taken. Carly nodded.

Five minutes later, the doctor came in to examine her. He shook his head at the sight of her face. He had an 18-year-old daughter, too and for someone to have done this to someone else's child broke his heart. He spoke very good English since he spent a lot of time, dealing with foreigners, who came to the resort town.

"I am so sorry this happened to you, Cristina," he said. He checked her vitals and then examined her face. Luckily for her, there were no broken bones but she would need some stitches for the cut on her forehead. The rest of the cuts and the bruises would heal on their own. Soon after, a police officer came in and took a statement from Cristina and the girls who saved her. He asked for a description of the assailant and his name. The girls said they only knew that his name was Toby and that he was American. They gave him a full description of what he looked like and an artist did a sketch of him. They said they were going to start canvassing all of the hotels in the area to find out if he was staying there. They would contact them if they found Toby.

After they stitched up Cristina and tended to her cuts, it was only Cristina and Carly left in the room. "So do you want me to call your parents?"

Cristina shook her head. "I can't," she said. Carly was astounded. "Why? I am sure they would want to know about this."

"I can't call them because they don't even know that I am in Mexico. They think that I am in Evanston in the apartment, studying for the week," Cristina admitted. "I lied to them. So you can't call them."

"What!" Carly shrieked. "They don't even know that you are out of the country. What if something bad happened to you?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Oh, yeah, right, here we are with your face all busted up and we can't call them. What about Owen? Maybe I can call him for you."

"No, you can't call him either," Cristina said, quietly.

"Don't tell me, don't tell me. Let me guess. You lied to him, too. He doesn't know you are out of the country, too," Carly said, still shaking her head.

"Well, I did lie to him but that wasn't the lie I told him. He knows I am here in Mexico but the lie I told him was that my parents knew that I was going to Mexico on spring break. That's why he didn't object to it because he thinks my parents know," Cristina said, softly. Carly could not believe her ears. "Cristina, what if he had killed you?"

"I don't want to think about that," Cristina said. "At least I am alive and didn't lose any teeth." She gave her friend a crooked smile.

"So what are we going to do now?" Carly said.

"I think I better head back home," Cristina said. "I will spend the rest of spring break in the apartment. So I think I will book a flight out of here."

"I will come with you to make sure you get home, safely," Carly said.

"You don't have to do that, Carly. You have got two more days here," Cristina said. "I will be fine."

"Are you kidding? Spring break has already been ruined and I don't want to stay another minute here. Besides, I want to hug Bobby," Carly responded. "So we are going to check out of the hotel and get out of here."

"Okay," Cristina said. Carly helped her out of the bed and together, they went back to the hotel, where they packed up their clothes and other belongings. They changed their flights and got the first flight out in the morning. People kept staring at Cristina, so she put on a large pair of dark sunglasses to cover what she could of her face. If anyone asked, she just said she was in an accident.

When they reached Chicago, Bobby picked them up at the airport. He had already been told of what had happened to Cristina, so he didn't ask any questions. He kissed Carly and then enveloped Cristina in a huge hug. They dropped Cristina at her apartment. "Will you be okay?" Bobby called out, as she took her small suitcase out of the trunk.

"Yeah, I will be fine," she said. They watched as she safely got into her apartment building before they drove away.

Cristina was grateful to be in familiar surroundings. Thankfully, no one in the apartment building was around, so she got up to her floor without anyone asking bothersome questions. She got in her apartment and closed the door. As she got in, she went straight to the bedroom and lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She knew that the fact she was alone with no one around for comfort, was totally all her fault. She had lied and would have to suffer the consequences of her lies.

She decided to call Owen to tell him that she was home but she wasn't going to tell him why her trip was curtailed. He would find out soon enough, when he came home and she didn't want to ruin the rest of his spring break.

When Owen saw Cristina's number appear on his phone, he happily answered. "Baby, I am so glad to hear from you."

"Hey, Owen," she said. "How is your trip going?"

"Fine," he answered. "The guys and I are having a great time. How come you are calling me? I thought that you weren't going to use your phone in Mexico because of the roaming charges."

"I am back in Evanston," she replied. "What!" he said. "Why didn't you tell me you were going home early? I would have changed my flight and come back, too."

"It's okay, Owen, you don't have to cut short your trip. It is your last spring break," she said. "Enjoy it. Besides, you will be home, tomorrow night. Enjoy your last few hours with your football buddies."

"Okay," he said. "By the way, I am glad that you called. Last night, I had the weirdest feeling that something was wrong but I couldn't figure out why. So to hear from you today, I feel much better. My mind has been put at ease."

"Yeah, I am fine, Owen," she said. "It has been a long flight, so I just want to catch a nap," she said. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye, baby," he said. They both hung up the phone. Cristina went to the bathroom and took a look at her face. She looked so battered. It was the first time that she had really taken a good look at herself. Hopefully, some of the swelling and bruising would go down by the time Owen came home, tomorrow. She looked at the black and blue bruises on her arm from where Toby had held her down. They were a sharp contrast to the fairness of her skin. For the first time since the incident, Cristina cried. She didn't stop crying until an hour later.

She spent her time, watching, reading books and cleaning the apartment. She cooked whatever was in the refrigerator. She also got a call from the police in Puerto Vallarta who told her that the Toby had checked out of the hotel the same night that he beat her and had left the country. She sighed when she heard that. As she hung up the phone, she wondered if it was karma that this had happened to her because she had lied to her parents and Owen.

* * *

><p>Owen was to come home, later that night. She looked at herself in the mirror, again. It seemed a little bit better but obviously, it wasn't something she could hide. She sighed. She went to bed, since he was coming home around 11 p.m. that night. She quickly fell asleep.<p>

Owen opened the door of his apartment, hoping that Cristina was up. The apartment was in darkness so that meant she was asleep. He switched on the light and looked around. The place was spotless. That was not what he had expected when Cristina told him that she was already home. He put down his suitcase and ran to the bedroom, which too, was in darkness but he could still make out her tiny form under the covers. He kicked off his shoes and got in the other side of the bed. He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair.

"Hey," she said. "You're home."

"Yes, I am home and so happy to see you. I have missed you so much," he said. "Turn around. I want to kiss you." She turned around and allowed him to kiss her but she could not help wincing when he brushed against her burst lip.

"Put on that light," he ordered. Something was not just feeling right. Cristina reluctantly turned on the light and let Owen see her face. His mouth dropped open as he was so shocked at her battered face that he could not help but cry. She found herself comforting him. When he could finally speak, he asked, "What happened in Mexico? Who did this to you?"

"There was this guy named Toby, who kept talking to me and I politely talked back to him. On my last night there, he wanted to buy me a drink and I told him that I was in a serious relationship and it wouldn't be right for me to accept a drink from him. Then, I left the bar to take a walk on the beach. I guess he followed me and told me that I was one of those girls who led a guy on and never delivered. I tried to get away from him but he pulled me back and he beat me up," she said. "Three of the girls saved me from anything worse. And to answer that question in your mind, I wasn't raped."

"I knew it, I knew something was wrong. Why didn't you tell me this when you called yesterday?" he said.

"I didn't want to ruin your spring break. Your last one with your friends," she said. "It wasn't like if you could do anything about it."

"Oh, Cristina, I could have been here with you. You mean more to me than any stupid spring break vacation," he said, touching her bruises. "Did they catch the guy?"

"He left the country the same night he beat me up," she said. Owen clenched his fists. If he could get his hands on the guy, he thought. That guy needed to be taught a lesson and to pick a fight with someone his own size. He could just imagine him pummeling his tiny girlfriend. He was so angry that his heart was filled with revenge.

"Did you tell your parents?" he asked. "I am surprised that you are here. I thought you would have gone home." This was it; Cristina knew she had to finally come clean about her lies.

"I didn't tell my parents about it because they didn't know that I was in Mexico," she admitted, looking up at him. His eyes opened wide. "So you lied to them and to me?" he asked. What had got into his girlfriend? She answered quite softly, "Yes."

"Cristina, how could you do this?" he asked. "I just knew that your parents would not have approved of you going out of the country for spring break. So you lied to them about where you will be and then you lied to me, saying that they said it was okay for you to go." She nodded. "I just wanted to go somewhere because you were going on spring break and didn't want to be alone, at home," she admitted.

"I am so mad at you, now for lying but when I look at your face, I can't find it in myself to yell at you," he said. "Because I think you suffered enough. But you have to tell your parents the truth, Cristina."

"I know," she said. "But not now. I will have to wait until my face heals and then tell them. I don't think they will be able to take how I look right now. It would hurt them, deeply. I am very sorry, Owen, for lying."

"I accept your apology and I don't want you lying to me or to your parents, again. Look at what happened to you," he said. She nodded. "We love you so much, Cristina." She snuggled against him. It was good to be back in his arms. They were quiet for a moment.

"Owen, I thought he was going to kill me," she said. He pulled her closer. He could not imagine life without her. "You are home, now," he said. "You are with me. If you let me, I will always protect you."

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments and reviews. I appreciate when you do.**


	48. Chapter 48 Graduation and a Job Offer

"Hey, wake up," Cristina said, shaking Owen. "It is your graduation day. We have to get up. Your dad is taking us to breakfast, then we're heading over to the ceremony for 10.00 a.m."

Owen groaned, as he stretched. He pulled his girlfriend closer to him. "I don't want to graduate. You know what graduation means. We're going to have to give up this place by the end of the month and then we have to go back to our parents' houses for the summer."

"Well, we knew this day would come. Besides, you are going to spend all summer, interviewing for jobs. I am going to get an internship at my dad's company. It will be my first job," she said. "That could be exciting. How are the interviews going?"

"Good, I think," he said. What he didn't tell her was that he was being actively recruited by a company based in Portland, Oregon. It was a job that he coveted but it would also take him halfway across the country away from Cristina. He had other interviews, with most of them in the Chicago area. However, there was really stiff competition for those jobs, given the state of the economy and the number of young graduates flooding the market. He hoped that he could get a great job in Chicago but the Portland job was the one he really wanted. It was an amazing opportunity, he knew, but taking that job meant that he would have to leave Cristina behind. She had three more years at Northwestern and it would be hard for him to be away from her.

They both got out of bed and hit the showers to get ready for their breakfast with the Hunts. They were going to meet them at this charming restaurant that served wonderful breakfasts, every day. When they got to the restaurant, George and Lana were already there, along with Julia and her latest boyfriend, Harry. "Who's that?" Cristina asked, gesturing with her chin at the man she did not know.

"That's Harry, Julia's latest flame," Owen said with a chuckle. While he had the same girlfriend throughout the years, his sister, Julia always seemed to have a new boyfriend at every family occasion. "Hey," he said. "Sorry that we are late." Everyone gave each other a hug. Julia also introduced Cristina to her boyfriend, Harry.

"You're not late. We are just early," George said. "Our boy is graduating today and we are just anxious. So we just told the server to bring us coffee and we would order, when you arrived." He beckoned the server over. "My son and his girlfriend are here, so can we order now?" The server nodded and took everyone's orders.

"So how is the job hunt going?" George asked. "I told you that you could have a job here with my company."

"I know that, dad, but I have worked at your company every summer since I started going to college. It's time I try to find my own job," Owen said. "It would be just too easy for me to just start working at the company."

"I have to admire your attitude, Owen," his dad said. "I am very proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad," Owen said. His dad then mentioned the very thing that he did not want to talk about. "So how about that job in Portland – the one you were so excited about? Is that going to be a possibility?" George enquired.

"Portland?" Cristina asked. Owen had never mentioned anything about a job in Portland. He looked apologetic when he answered. "Yeah, a recruiter for this company in Portland, New Energy Sources, came to visit and I signed up for an interview. It went well because I just had a second interview."

"What kind of company is it?" Lana asked.

"They are into clean energy projects," Owen answered. "Environmental type of company. It is very interesting." He looked across at Cristina, who seemed very quiet. This was not the way that he wanted to tell her. He reached out and touched her hand. She pulled her hand away from him. He sighed. While everyone continued to chat at the breakfast, Cristina remained silent for the rest of the meal.

Then, it was time to head over to the graduation. It was being held outdoors because the ceremony covered all of the graduates from all of the departments and schools at the University. Owen went and sat with the other graduates, while Cristina sat next to the Hunt family. He looked back at her and smiled. She nodded but did not smile back. He knew he had to talk about the Portland job to her. Besides, why was she so upset? It wasn't like he had the job, anyway. There was no guarantee he would get it.

The graduation turned out to be quite an excellent one. The guest speaker was a distinguished actor, who had graduated from the school, 20 years ago. He was quite funny and was a lively speaker. When they started calling all of the graduates to accept their diploma, the Hunts cheered wildly when Owen received his. He waved to them but he noticed that Cristina just clapped, politely. She was clearly still mad.

At the reception held after the graduation, everyone hugged and kissed him, while Cristina stepped back. She volunteered to take pictures of the proud family and their newly-minted graduate. She had taken several pictures, when George said, "Come on, Cristina, you need to take a couple with us. Give Harry the camera." She came forward and stood next to Julia in the pictures. She smiled dutifully for all of the photos.

"Okay," Lana said. "Just Owen and Cristina. I think he will care more about that picture than the ones with his overbearing family." Everyone moved away, leaving just the young couple. She stepped closer to him and he put his arm around her. She put her arm around his back, for which he was grateful. They posed for a couple of pictures. He kissed her on her forehead.

After the reception, the Hunts decided to do a celebratory lunch at a restaurant. The restaurant gave them free dessert when they found out that Owen had just graduated from Northwestern. Then, it was time to part ways. After much kissing and hugging, the Hunts and Harry left. Owen drove Cristina back to their apartment.

As soon as they got back in to their apartment, she turned to him and quietly asked, "So when were you going to tell me?"

"Well, if they gave me the job, I was going to tell you. As it is right now, what was the point? I don't know if they are going to hire me. So why tell you if there wasn't really anything to talk about?" he said.

"You got a second interview. That means that they are extremely interested in you," she said. "Why would they give you a second interview? You could have told me, then."

"Alright, maybe," he said, admittedly.

"So I guess you are going to leave me, if they are going to give you the job," she said.

"I will consider the job but I am applying for jobs in the Chicago area," he reminded her. "You are the most important reason, which will factor on where I accept a job."

"Hmm," she said. He came to her and took her in his arms. "I know you are not happy about this but until there is even something to consider, why worry about it at all."

"I guess," she said. He kissed her on the lips. "So why don't you give me a graduation present in the bedroom," he said. "I have been thinking of doing that all morning." He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, where she gave him the best graduation present that he wanted. Through it all, her mind was still pre-occupied with thoughts of the Portland job.

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><p>Over the next few days, she did as much research as she could about the company in Portland. It was a great company and given Owen's engineering degree, it seemed that it would be truly a good fit for him. Its work in clean energy was outstanding and their upcoming projects were exciting. It would be an excellent company for Owen to launch his career. Still, she knew that she wanted Owen to be with her. Maybe, they were selfish thoughts but she could barely imagine not having him in her life, every day.<p>

It was on his birthday that he got the call. It was on his birthday. Actually, it was Cristina who got the call. Their time at the apartment was soon be coming to an end since it was nearly the end of June and then, they would have to move out and go back home. They were savoring every minute left in the apartment.

Owen had gone out to pick up their dinner. They had decided to just stay home and enjoy each other's company for his birthday. She had been watching television when she heard his phone ring. Apparently, he had forgotten to take his phone with him when he went out to get the dinner. She looked at the screen. It was an area code that she did not know. She tentatively answered, "Hello, this is Owen Hunt's phone."

"Good afternoon. This is Teresa Stringer from New Energy Sources in Portland. May I speak to Owen Hunt?" a crisp voice on the other end said.

"I am sorry," Cristina replied. "He is out right now and he forgot his phone. May I take a message?"

"Yes," Ms. Stringer said. "Can you tell him that we at New Energy Sources are pleased to offer him the position at our company? We would like him to start at the beginning of August. We also sent him an email with all of the details with salary and benefits. So we would like to get his response as soon as possible."

"Okay, thank you, Ms. Stringer, I will let him know," she said. "Goodbye." She hung up the phone. So now that Owen definitely had the Portland job, she wondered what he was going to do.

Half an hour later, Owen came back, armed with a variety of food from all of their favorite take-out places. "I have scored big time," he said, as he came through the door. "All of our favorite foods." He placed the bags on the dining room table. He noticed her subdued expression.

"What's up?" he asked. "Why are you so glum?"

"You got a call from New Energy Sources on your phone. You had forgotten it, so I answered. It was Teresa Stringer and she told me that you have the job at their company," she responded. "She said she sent you details about the position to your email. They want you to start in August."

"Oh," Owen said. He was excited but his enthusiasm was tempered by the way Cristina was feeling.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked. "Are you going to take the job?"

"Well, I do have another job offer in the Chicago area," Owen said. "I could take that one at Philbert Chemicals."

"But do you really want that job at Philbert?" she asked. "Be truthful about it."

"Well, it is a good company and they do have some great benefits. It is not exactly what I want but at least, I get to stay in the area with you. With my job, I could get another apartment and we could still live together. You can go to school and I can commute," he said.

"If I weren't a factor," she prodded. "Would you take the job at New Energy?"

"If you weren't a factor, I guess so. It is exactly what I want to do. But that is not our situation, you are a factor and a major part of my life," he said. "So I am not going to take the job at New Energy."

"Take it," she said, quietly. "Take the job at New Energy. It's what you want to do. I don't want that I am the reason that you don't pursue what you want to do. I don't want you to be unhappy at Philbert, knowing that the reason you stayed was me. I have researched New Energy and it is an excellent company. It is exactly what you want to do."

"But….," he started. "No buts," she said. "Take the job. I have three years left at Northwestern. I can survive. When I am done, I will join you in Portland. We can Skype, email, text, call each other. We will be okay. I will be okay."

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Very sure. I have been thinking about it since your graduation day," she said. "I want you to take that job."

"Thank you," he said. He took her in his arms. "But that doesn't mean that I won't miss you," he told her.

"I will miss you, too, Owen," she said. "But I also want you to do what you were meant to do."

They stood there and hugged each other for a long time.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your reviews and comments. I do appreciate your thoughts.**


	49. Chapter 49 A Long Distance Relationship

When Owen left to go Portland to start his new job, Cristina couldn't go with him. She was still working at her internship job in Chicago and couldn't just leave. So when he left in mid-July, they made plans, that when her birthday came up at the end of August, she could visit in Portland, before the semester started.

In the six weeks that he had been living in Portland, he found that he really liked the vibe of the city. It was very green because of the abundance of rain and he liked that. He had found himself a one-bedroom apartment in this building, where there were a lot of young people living there. Cristina would like it, he thought. He loved his new job. It was everything he thought it would be. He was learning so much and he was getting involved in a lot of new projects. He worked long hard hours but he was enjoying it so much. He had already made a friend at work named Terrence, who was in the cubicle next to him. Terrence was also new to the job, so they bonded in that way.

The only thing missing in his life was Cristina. She was back at home, working hard at her first job. He called her every night to find out how her life was going. She tried to sound upbeat but he knew that in her quiet moments, she let it slip how lonely she was without him.

He was very happy that she was coming to visit him for her birthday. He had missed her so much. When he saw her come through those airport doors, he called out her name and she ran to him. She threw her arms around his neck and he picked her up as they gave each other some soft kisses. When they stopped kissing, he gently put her down. She didn't have much luggage, just a carry-on, so they were out of the airport in a jiffy. They picked up some food on the way back to his apartment. When they got to his building, he was greeted by the various inhabitants of the apartment building. Cristina thought that he seemed to be quite popular, especially among the women, who all gave him special smiles.

When they got to their front door, she said, "I think the ladies all like you."

"Nah," he said. "They are all just friendly in this building. It is mainly young people here. You wouldn't find anyone over the age of 40 here. Or maybe we are just too noisy for older folk." He opened his front door. "Ta-da." She stepped inside and she had to admit that it was a very nice apartment.

"It came fully furnished," Owen said. "Actually, the company helped me to find it."

"I love the windows," she said, noting the ample light that was streaming through the apartment.

"Yes, me too. I like to watch when the rain hits the windows. It rains a lot here, you know," he told her, matter-of-factly. "But I like it. It just makes all the trees look so green and fresh. Look out the window, you will see that we have a lovely courtyard." She did and it was very pretty. A couple of people were reading at the tables and having coffee. As she looked out, he took her suitcase into his bedroom and unpacked its contents.

She turned around and realized that he had gone into the bedroom. He had just finished packing her clothes into an empty drawer. She looked at the bed. "I know this apartment came fully furnished but I do hope that you changed the mattress on that bed."

"I did," he said. "The last mattress was pretty lumpy so I got a new one. Much more comfy." He added, slyly. "Do you want to try it?" She grinned at him, knowing exactly what he was hinting at. "Maybe after we eat," she told him, coyly. "Anything you say," he replied, with a smirk.

They went out to the living room area, where Owen took out the food from the bags. He had bought Chinese food. "This was one of the take-out places I found that I liked," he said. "Tell me if you like them." He put out the food in plates and handed one to her. She took a forkful of the shrimp in lobster sauce and had to admit it was pretty good. Sitting there with him in his apartment, she had some conflicting emotions. It was strange and familiar at the same time. It was familiar because they were together, having a meal, like they used to when they had their own apartment in Evanston. It was also strange because they were no longer in their apartment but were in his apartment in a city that was far away from Evanston.

"What are you thinking?" he asked. She blinked. She didn't really want to tell him how weird a feeling she was having being there with him, that she was no longer living with him, but was now just a visitor in his home. So, instead she said, "I was just thinking of how nice it is to be having a meal with you." He reached over and squeezed his hand. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," he replied. She gave him a small smile.

"By the way, I have new living accommodations in Evanston," she told him. He was immediately interested. "Where?"

"I am going to be sharing a house with some other students," she told him. He was puzzled. "That doesn't quite sound like you. A house with a whole bunch of other people?" he asked.

"Well, after the attack in Mexico, my dad didn't really want me to live alone, especially since you're gone. So, he decided that there was safety in numbers. So it is a five bedroom house. I get the master bedroom with my own bathroom because my dad agreed to pay a little more than the other parents. The two other girls share a bathroom and the two guys share a bathroom," she said.

"What? You're going to live with guys? I don't think I like the sound of that," he said. The thought of Cristina sharing a living space with two guys made him uneasy. "It's okay," she answered. "I know them already. They're Kyle and Conrad Harrison. I have known them my entire life. Remember them from down my street. Kyle is a junior and Conrad is a sophomore like me," she said. Owen knew the red-headed brothers who lived a couple of houses away from the Yangs but it didn't make him feel any better about it.

"And your dad is okay with everything?" he asked. She nodded. "What about sharing your food? You don't want your roommates getting their grubby hands on your stuff?" he pressed on further.

"We solved that problem. Dad is getting me a small refrigerator for my bedroom," she said. "So if I don't want to share anything, I can keep it in there." Well, it seemed like Mr. Yang had everything figured out for his daughter, so there was nothing Owen could really object about, even though it still bothered him that guys were going to live in the house.

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><p>Later that night, as they got ready for bed, they both got into the bed and just lay there for a bit. The strangeness that Cristina had felt earlier, had come back. They hadn't seen each other in about six weeks and instead of attacking each other with great gusto, they were just laying there. Owen noticed the awkwardness, too.<p>

"Why are we behaving like this?" he said. "It's like we're like strangers, even though we are not."

"I think it is because we used to live with each other and now, we don't," she told him, turning to face him.

"This is ridiculous that we should be feeling like this," he said, as he took her face into his hands and kissed her. Their kissing became more heated as their lips and tongues remembered each other's taste and feel. "This is more like it," Owen whispered. He unbuttoned her nightshirt and removed her panties, while he made quick work of getting rid of his own pjs. He reached down to touch her there and was pleased to find that she was wet. "Good, we are making progress here." He took her hands to his stiffened member, so she could feel how much he wanted her.

"I guess that is not a banana under there," she giggled, as her small hands stroked him to rock hardness. "Oh, God," he said. "I can't wait much longer. Six weeks without you have been very difficult." He pushed her on to her back and climbed on top of her, pushing her legs apart. When he entered her, they both gasped. They missed the feel of each other, when they made love. "Now, isn't that better?" he whispered as he pushed deeper into her. "It's like I am home." She groaned with pleasure, as their bodies moved together in a familiar rhythm, until they both climaxed, together. It was rare that they would climax at the same time, given that he always made sure that she came first before he did. This time, though, it was even sweeter that they came, together.

For the rest of the weekend, he took her around Portland, letting her see all of the sights. It was an enjoyable time and they loved having the time together but too soon for them, they had to say goodbye. He hoped it would not be a pattern to their visits with each other that it would start with some sort of awkwardness. They needed to get past that.

After her visit, she went back to Evanston and settled down into her new living arrangements with her four roommates, they both found themselves in a comfortable routine. He went to work, while she went to her classes and they both Skyped at night. They saw each other in the flesh, twice per month. He would make it back home for a weekend or she would fly to Portland for a weekend. They knew it was important for their relationship to see each other in person on a regular basis. Their visits were always punctuated by bouts of mind-blowing sex.

* * *

><p>Owen was thriving in Portland. His superiors recognized his intelligence and his aptitude for the work. He showed great initiative and it paid off, when he was given a project to do on his own. He did it very successfully and was given more projects to handle. He didn't really mind because it kept his mind occupied on his work, instead of missing Cristina all of the time. He and his co-worker, Terrence worked well together and they had become closer as friends and colleagues.<p>

Owen was staring at a picture of Cristina, which was on his phone, when Terrence came up. Owen quickly put his phone on his drawer, so all Terrence saw was a glimpse of dark, curly hair.

"Hey, why did you put that away so fast?" Terrence asked.

"I was just looking at a picture of my girlfriend," Owen said, sheepishly. He felt kind of stupid that he had been caught, mooning over his girlfriend.

"Your girlfriend? I didn't see much, only a lot of hair. Very dark curls," Terrence said, grinning. "With that hair, I am sure she is a pretty girl."

"Yes, she is," Owen admitted. "She is Asian and I have known her since I was seven." Terrence chuckled. "A lifelong love. Well, she certainly must be something. Do you mind if I see her picture? I do have a thing for Asian girls. So small, delicate and petite," he asked.

Owen took the phone out of his drawer and handed it over to Terrence. He noticed a distinct change in Terrence as his colleague stared at Cristina's picture. It was as if Terrence had seen a ghost. He had turned pale. He quickly handed back the phone to Owen. "She is very pretty," Terrence said and he headed back to his cubicle. Owen took back the phone, puzzled. That was the strangest reaction anybody had ever had to seeing Cristina's picture.

He looked down at Cristina's picture and traced the outline of her face with his pinky finger. "I love you, baby." He put away his phone and went back to work.

In his cubicle, Terrence was sweating. He had recognized the girl. It was the girl he had met in Mexico.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments and reviews. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so. It is always good to know when people like your work.**


	50. Chapter 50 The Truth Comes Out

Owen was coming home for Christmas. He loved living in Portland but there was nothing quite like coming home for Christmas. He had been living in Portland for close to 18 months, now. He had spent Thanksgiving in Portland, since he was working on a big project for the company. All of the single folks at the company got together for Thanksgiving, each of them preparing a dish. He was glad he got mashed potatoes to do and not something more complicated. His friend, Terrence, did candied yams. Both were glad they did not get the turkey to do. A good time was had by all but he still missed being home for Thanksgiving, since he knew that the Yangs were going across to the Hunts for that holiday. He even called her from his friends' Thanksgiving dinner to wish her Happy Thanksgiving. She told him what everyone was doing back at his parents' house and she told him the big news that Garrett and Holly had got back together. He was pleased for Garrett and Holly. He always knew that they made a great couple.

When he was talking to Cristina, he saw Terrence in front of him, laying out the table settings. "Hey Terrence," Owen said. "I am talking to my girlfriend, Cristina. Do you want to say hello?" Terrence emphatically shook his head. "I am busy, Owen. I will just say hi from across the room." Owen lifted up the phone and Terrence shouted, "Happy Thanksgiving, Cristina."

"Who was that?" Cristina asked. "That is my friend, Terrence. He is my best friend at work," Owen said. "I can't believe that the two of you have never met. In all of your many trips to Portland, you have never met him. Maybe, the next time you are here, we can all go out for dinner."

"Okay, I have no problem with that," Cristina said. "I gotta go. My mom wants me to help with something. Bye, Owen. Happy Thanksgiving. At least you will be here for Christmas."

"Definitely," he replied. "Home for the holidays. Bye, Cristina."

* * *

><p>So there he was, stepping off the plane at Chicago's O'Hare airport. His dad came to pick him up from the airport. The two men hugged. "Good to see you, son. Thanksgiving was not just the same without you."<p>

"Dad, I wished I could have been here for Thanksgiving. I am just grateful to be home for Christmas," Owen said.

"Well, we are going across to the Yangs for Christmas," George said. "That is just awesome. I always enjoy those extra Korean dishes that they do. Delicious."

"Are you thinking with your stomach, Dad?"Owen said, laughing. "Absolutely," his father replied.

"Speaking of the Yangs, can you just drop me off there? I want to see Cristina," Owen said.

"What about your mom? She is anxious to see you," George protested. "I will be home, soon enough. I just need to see Cristina," Owen said. George sighed. "Ah, I guess I cannot keep you away from the love of your life."

"That you can't," Owen said. He was eager to see her. His dad dropped him off at the Yangs' house. He rang the doorbell and to his surprise, his second favorite Yang opened the door. "Garrett! It has been like forever, dude," he said, giving his friend a hug. "Also, congratulations. I heard you are back with Holly."

"Yup, I am and good to see you, bro," Garrett said. "How is life in Oregon?"

"Just came in from Portland. Told my dad drop me off here. I have to see my babe," Owen said, stepping into the house. "Where is she?"

"She's in her room," Garrett said. Owen went to the room and quietly opened the door, hoping to surprise her. She was on her bed, facing away from him, as she chatted with a red-headed guy on Skype. He tip-toed across to the bed behind her.

The red-headed guy said, "There is a tall, blonde guy behind you, Cristina." She turned around, screamed happily and jumped into his arms. She kissed him all over his face. "You're here," she shrieked.

"Cristina, if you want to do this later, we can," the guy on the screen said.

"Oh, Conrad, sorry about that," she said. "Yes, let's do this later. By the way, this is my boyfriend, Owen. Owen, this is my roommate, Conrad. We are working on a project, together for extra credit."

"Yeah, I remember him from high school, when he was a senior and we were freshmen," Conrad said. "Good to see you again, Owen. Alright, bye. Happy holidays."

"Happy holidays, Conrad," Cristina said, as she switched off the Skype. She turned to Owen. "Did you just get in?"

"Yup," he said. "Told my dad to drop me off here, first because I wanted to see my girl." He gave her a big kiss on the lips. They fell on to the bed and started making out. He was getting very aroused. "Can we do it here?" She hesitated, since her family was in the house. It just seemed so wrong but she was very turned on, too. "Yes," she whispered. He got up and locked her bedroom door. As they stripped off their clothes, Cristina whispered, "This is really kind of exciting. We are breaking all of the rules. It seems so forbidden."

"For all intents and purposes, you and I are adults – sexually active adults, who haven't seen each other in a few weeks. No one can blame us for doing this," he whispered back. "After all, you're 20 years old and I am 23."

"If you think that," she replied. "Why are you whispering?"

"Are you crazy? There is no way I am going to let your dad catch me with my pants down in your room. We are going to have to be quiet and it is going to be a quickie," he continued to whisper. They started making out, again and he gently eased himself inside of her. "God," he said. "I have really missed you." He started with slow, gentle thrusts, until she commanded him to go faster. "If this is going to be a quickie, you have got to get going," she scolded him.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, with a grin. Very little was said, only the sounds of grunts, moans, gasps and groans were emanating from the two of them. When she finally came, her whole body shuddered with pleasure. He released his load into her, soon after. He rolled off of her and she lay against his chest.

"I think we were successful in keeping the noise down," he said. "Nobody came to knock on the door."

They lay there for a while, until he spoke again. "Hey, I know that I told you this before but when you come to Portland, next, I was wondering if we could arrange a dinner with my friend, Terrence from work."

"I would like that," Cristina said. "It is kinda odd that I have yet to meet your best friend in Portland and I have visited the city, so many times in the last year and a half. He is your best friend there and I don't know that part of your life."

"Okay, great, next time, then," he said. "I think I have to go home now. My mom is probably waiting for me to get there. I think I will ask Garrett for a ride over." She watched him as he got dressed, admiring the taut muscles of his stomach.

"What are you doing?" he said, watching her eyes take him all in. "I am being lecherous. I am ogling my big, handsome boyfriend," she told him, teasingly. He came over and gave her a kiss. "Goodbye, my beautiful girlfriend. Talk to you later." He looked back at her, as he unlocked the door and left. She turned over in her bed, closed her eyes and took a nap.

It was a wonderful Christmas celebration at the Yangs and unfortunately, the holiday season ended too soon for Owen and Cristina, as he headed back to Portland after the New Year to resume work. As he kissed her at the airport, he said, "So I will see you in two weeks, right?" She nodded. He hugged her. "Until then, sweet girl."

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><p>Two weeks later, Cristina found herself in Portland. Owen came to pick her up at the airport. Before he left the office to pick her up, he told Terrence that his girlfriend would like to meet him and she was coming in for the weekend and maybe, they could go out to dinner. Terrence had begged off, since he had a ton of things he had promised his family that he would do at their house. He wasn't sure if he would be able to make a dinner date.<p>

Owen spotted Cristina's head of dark curls from afar and called out her name. She looked up, smiled and ran to him, dragging her carry-on behind her. She jumped in his arms and he swung her around. "Two weeks seemed like forever," she said, after he put her down. They held hands as they walked out of the airport.

As they drove to his apartment, she asked, "Is Terrence going to have dinner with us, this weekend? I brought a nice dress."

"He told me that he promised his family that he would help them over at their place and he didn't think he could make it," Owen said.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to meet me," Cristina said, with a pout. "Did you tell him bad things about me and he thinks that I am a spoilt brat."

"Of course not," Owen said. "I only say good things about you, even there are times you drive me crazy." She gave him a playful smack on his arm. "Ow," he said, even though the lash from her small hand didn't hurt.

"Well, maybe he could bring his girlfriend. He probably doesn't want to be a third wheel with the two of us," she concluded.

"Come to think of it, I am not sure Terrence has a girlfriend. I know he dates a lot but I don't think he has a steady girlfriend," Owen said.

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><p>Over the next two days, they did their usual going out, having fun and making love. Before they could even blink, it was already Sunday evening and he had to take her to the airport. On the way, Owen had an idea.<p>

"Since Terrence couldn't make it to dinner with us, I was thinking that maybe, we could surprise him at his apartment," Owen said. He looked at his watch. "We have a lot of time before we need to go to the airport. Plus you already checked in online and all you have is a carry-on, so you just have to go through security."

"Okay," Cristina said. "I will be on my best behavior. I will be your sweet, adoring girlfriend and I won't try to embarrass you by revealing any of your darkest secrets." He scoffed. "My darkest secrets?" he repeated. "Please. Nothing I have done can embarrass me. I am like a choirboy. I have nothing to hide."

"Hmmm," she replied. "You know there are people, who appear to be one thing and turn out to be another. People never show you their darker sides, most of the time."

"I am sure that I don't know anyone like that," Owen said. "Everyone I know is always above-board. Ah, here we are."

He parked the car and took Cristina's hand, as they headed into the building. They went into the elevator. "I think I like your building better," Cristina remarked, as they stepped off on the fourth floor. They walked to Apartment 4J, where Owen knocked on the door. They heard someone moving around on the inside. "Coming," a male voice said. Terrence opened the door. "Hey, Terrence, since you couldn't make it to dinner, I brought Cristina to meet you," Owen said, happily. He turned to Cristina and was shocked by the total fear in her eyes. She let go of his hand and ran to the open elevator and pressed the button to get down to the lobby. She was just saying, "No, no, no" over and over again.

"Cristina!" he shouted after her. "What's the matter?" He then turned his gaze on Terrence and there was a strange look on his face. It was an expression he had never seen on Terrence's face before. "I am sorry about that," Owen said. "I have to see what is up with her."

Terrence sighed. He knew that his deepest, darkest secret was going to come to light. "Okay, Owen," he said, as he closed the door. Owen ran to the elevator, pressed the call button and it came back up for him. As he got down to the lobby and out of the building, he found her leaning against the car, shaking like a leaf.

"What's the matter, baby?" he said, taking her in his arms. "Why are you afraid?"

"It's him," she said, slowly. "Toby. From Mexico. He beat me up." She was choking on her words. She seemed terrified.

"Terrence?" he said, in an incredulous tone. His brain went into overdrive. "Are you sure, Cristina? Terrence is Toby?" She nodded. He could barely believe it. His friend for the past 18 months was the same one, who had assaulted his girlfriend. He was beyond angry as he clenched his fists. He pressed the car alarm and let Cristina into the vehicle.

"Stay here, baby," he said. "I am going to straighten this out." He headed back into the building, with rage in his heart.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave your reviews. I really appreciate it.**


	51. Chapter 51 Unforgivable

Owen went back to Terrence's apartment and pounded on the door. "Terrence, open this fucking door," he yelled. He continued to pound until the door was opened. Terrence looked resigned to his fate and allowed Owen to come into his apartment.

"Is it true?" he screamed. "Are you Toby? Did you beat her up in Mexico?"

"Look, Owen, that happened more than two years ago. I was young and drunk on spring break. I was idiotic and stupid because I thought that she was leading me on," Toby said, stepping back from Owen. He could see the rage in Owen's eyes.

"So you think just because a girl turns you down gives you the right to hit her!" Owen yelled. He grabbed Terrence by the top of his shirt and slammed him hard against the wall. "You should have seen my girlfriend's face. Black and blue and all bruised up. She didn't even look like herself. She is half your size, Terrence."

"I am sorry, Owen, what can I say? I did wrong," Terrence said in an apologetic tone. He could see that Owen was not appeased by his apology. He could see the anger in Owen's face. It looked like Owen was getting to ready to hit him. Terrence braced himself for the blow by closing his eyes. But the punch never came. He opened his eyes to see Owen's fist mere inches from his face.

"I could hit you," Owen said. "But the thing is if I hit you, I don't know if I will be able to stop. Then, I would be up for an assault charge, which you should have been, two years ago. I would take you apart and then, where would I be? In jail and my girlfriend all alone. NO! I am smarter than that." He released Terrence from his hold.

"So what are you going to do?" Terrence asked. "Because I know that you are not going to let it rest."

"First of all, I want you to apologize to Cristina and beg her forgiveness. Then, I want you to transfer out of our office and go to another location. Maybe the Texas office. I don't want to see the sight of your face around the office. Plus, we are no longer friends. I can't believe that I wasted so many months of my life on this friendship. You are just not worth it," Owen said.

"What? Another location? Texas? But my friends and family are here," Terrence protested. Owen looked at him in disgust. "I am letting you off easy here because you deserve so much worse. If you don't, I will alert the authorities and have you extradited to Mexico to face the charges down there. And if you don't transfer out of here, I will let everyone in the office from the CEO straight down to the janitor what you did to my girlfriend. I won't stop there because I will tell your parents and your brothers and sisters about what you did. I am not above resorting to blackmail in this instance. The contempt I have for you is great and I will destroy you." Terrence looked terrified at the thought that everyone would know about his secret.

"No, Owen, you can't do that. My mother would not be able to take this," Terrence said. Owen scoffed. "You should have thought of that before pummeling Cristina with your fists. Just do as I say and the secret remains between you and me."

"Okay," Terrence said. "I will put in for a transfer, tomorrow morning. You have to promise to keep your mouth shut about everything."

"Yes, you do that. I can't wait to see the back of you in my life. But first things first, you are going to have to grovel in front of my girlfriend," Owen said. "I am going to bring her back here and I want you to apologize."

"Okay," Terrence said, again. He had no other choice. Owen left the apartment and went down back to the car. He opened the passenger door.

"I want you to come up and face him, Cristina," Owen said. She looked terrified at the thought. "No, no," Owen," she said.

"I think it will help you. I can't forget the nightmares you had for months afterwards, screaming in your sleep," he said. "I know you still have them, now and then. Facing your fear could help you." She looked at him, a little unsure.

"If you see him as something as less than the horror you think he is, maybe your fear will diminish. Maybe the nightmares will go away," Owen said. "Don't worry, I will be right there. He won't try anything. And even if he did, he would have to deal with me." He held out his hand for her to take. She put her smaller hand into his and he helped her out of the car. They walked hand in hand back to the building and straight up to Terrence's apartment. Owen knocked on the door. When Terrence opened the door, Owen could feel Cristina instantly flinch. He squeezed her hand to reassure her. Terrence allowed them to come inside.

"Terrence has something to say to you, Cristina," Owen said, looking at his former friend with a glare.

"Um, yes," Terrence said. He turned to Cristina. "I wish to say that I am very, very, very sorry about what I did to you in Mexico. I know it was wrong. I was a total idiot. I was drunk at the time but I know that is a poor excuse. No one should be treated the way I treated you. I am asking for your forgiveness." His voice cracked, as he said it. Cristina stared at him, almost in disbelief that Terrence/Toby could actually be asking for forgiveness. She didn't know what to say but she dug deep inside to let him know what his assault had done to her.

"What you did to me is unforgivable in my eyes," she finally said. "Yes, you beat me up, pretty badly. It was painful and it took weeks for me for my face to heal. But while my physical scars healed, it has been taking way much longer for my emotional scars to go away. Just after the attack, I got nightmares almost every night, reliving it over and over in my mind. There were times I was afraid to go to sleep, so I wouldn't get the nightmares. It has been over two years and I still get nightmares, now and then. I used to think that it was my fault but I know now that it isn't. I never did anything to provoke that attack. It's your fault," she said. Terrence nodded. He couldn't deny that.

"Okay," Owen said. "I guess we can go, now. Just remember, Terrence, we had a deal." Terrence nodded.

Before they left, Cristina turned to have the final word. "Maybe I can learn to forgive but I know that I will never forget." Owen closed the door behind them. As they walked to the elevator, Owen said, "How do you feel, now?"

"Strangely, a lot better," Cristina said. "I said what I wanted to say to him. What was that deal you had with him?"

"He has to transfer out of our office to another location. I cannot bear to look at his face, every day," Owen said "If he doesn't, I told him I would tell everyone in the company and his friends and family what he did to you. I told him that I would destroy him." Cristina was quiet as he drove her to the airport. As they hugged near the security line, Owen said, "I hope this can give you some sort of closure on that chapter."

"I hope so," she said, looking up at him. "You always take care of me."

"And I always will," he told her, as he released her to allow her to leave. He watched until he could see her no more.

Terrence fulfilled his end of the bargain. He did transfer out of the Portland office. He could not afford to have his reputation destroyed because that would affect him for the rest of his corporate life. Everyone at the office was surprised that he asked for a transfer, given that his family was located in Oregon. He told his colleagues that he was looking for new horizons. Owen silently listened to all of this from his cubicle. He shook his head as Terrence spouted out his BS about why he wanted to leave. He was just glad that he was getting rid of him. He just wanted Cristina to have some peace.

* * *

><p><em><strong>One year later<strong>_

Cristina was happy. In six months, she would be finally graduating from Northwestern. She was now 21 years old. She still shared the house with four other roommates. Of the four roommates, Conrad was the only one left from when she first moved into the house. Everyone else had graduated. They had new roommates in their junior year, who had moved out at the end of that year; this was now their senior year and they had three new roommates.

Since they have been living together so long, she and Conrad got along the best among her roommates. He was her buddy in the house, while Carly and Bobby were her buddies outside of the house. She wished these last six months of college life would go quickly. Then, she could move to Portland to be with Owen and then, look for a job there. She and Owen had already had it all planned out.

She was home reading a text book on the sofa, when Conrad came through the door. He had the most shell-shocked look on his face. He was carrying a brown paper-bag which clearly had a bottle of alcohol as its contents. He flopped down, heavily on the sofa, next to her. A single tear was rolling down his face.

"What's the matter, Conrad?" she said. When she said that, the floodgates opened as he started weeping.

"I think we should take this to your room," she said. She didn't really want him embarrassed if the other roommates caught him crying like a baby. They both got up and went to his room. He collapsed on his bed, while she sat on an armchair.

"Ella broke up with me," he said, between sobs. Ella was Conrad's girlfriend for the past three years. She was a senior, just like they were. "Why?" Cristina said, sympathetically.

"She told me that she met someone else and wanted to move on from our relationship," Conrad said. "Cristina, I didn't even see this coming." He continued to cry.

"I am so sorry, Conrad," she said. She knew her friend's heart was breaking. She went and gave him a hug. He clung to her, as he cried. She felt so sorry for him. She knew if she and Owen broke up, she would be the same way.

After a while, Conrad stopped crying and took the bottle out of the paper bag. It was a bottle of tequila. He cracked open the cork and took a drink from it. He handed the bottle to Cristina for her to drink. She hesitated. She had never drunk tequila before. All she had drunk before was wine and beer.

"Come on, Cristina," Conrad said. "You have to take a drink if you are going to commiserate with me." She took a swig from it and it burned her throat, as it went down. "Man, that is nasty," she said, as she coughed. He laughed, before taking another drink from the bottle. She also took another drink. That was how they spent the rest of the night, drinking and talking.

* * *

><p>Cristina woke up the next morning with the most horrible headache ever. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Ow," she said, when she felt a tangle in her hair. She looked around the room. This was not her room. She looked to her left and there was Conrad's unmistakable red hair next to her. Her heart started to beat faster as she checked under the covers and was horrified to discover that they were both naked.<p>

"Oh, my God," she said. "Oh, my God. What have I done?" She got up, immediately and grabbed her clothes and started putting them back on. Maybe, it was innocent, she hoped. Maybe it was like what happened to Owen, when he fell asleep in that girl's bed. Maybe…then she saw it. The used condom on the floor was next to the bed. The tears started to flow, as she quietly left Conrad's room and went to her own room.

The magnitude of what she had done last night hit her. She had cheated on Owen with her friend. She couldn't stop crying. She wondered what to do. She could pretend it never happened and not tell Owen but the guilt would consume her, she knew. She could not lie to him. She had promised him to always tell him the truth.

She turned on her computer and called him on Skype. Owen answered, almost immediately. She knew the computer was near his bed.

"Hey," he said. "It's only 6 a.m. here. Why are you calling so early?" Then he saw her tear-streaked face. "Hey, what's the matter, baby?"

"You have to break up with me," she said, her voice breaking.

"What? What are you talking about, Cristina? Why would I want to do that?" he said, confused.

"You have to break up with me," she said. "I did a terrible, terrible thing. It is something so unforgivable." She started to cry, again. The anxiety in Owen started to build. There could only be one thing that was so terrible and unforgivable. He started to feel the tears well up.

"Wh-at did you do, Cristina?" his voice cracked.

"I slept with my roommate, Conrad," she said. "We got drunk, last night and then I woke up naked in his bed."

"Maybe, maybe it was like what happened with Serena and me, when it was all a misunderstanding," he said. He knew he was grasping at straws but that was all he had.

"NO! It's not like that. I found a used condom on the floor," she said. "I cheated on you. You have to break up with me." Owen was shocked, when she told him about the condom. He could not speak.

"I am going now, Owen. I am so, so sorry. Someday, I hope you won't hate me for this. Goodbye," she said. She hung up the connection. She sat there; the tears were streaming down her face. She could not understand how she could have done something as stupid as this. She fell back on her bed and wailed.

In Portland, Owen lay back on the bed. He was completely stunned by what had just had happened. He screamed in frustration. He stared at the ceiling for a bit; then he couldn't see it anymore, as the tears could not stop. His heart was broken.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments and reviews. Thank you for leaving your thoughts. I do appreciate it when you do.**


	52. Chapter 52 Out of Tragedy

In the first month after she told him what she had done, all Owen could feel was pain and devastation. Every time he thought about it, he could feel his heart breaking. In the second month, all Owen could feel was anger. How could she have done something like that to him? In the third month, his anger had subsided and he was ready to forgive. She had made a mistake. She had been drunk. She had been upfront about it. She did not lie to him, when she could have and he would not have been any wiser.

He was missing her so much. He hadn't seen her in so long. There were no more nightly Skype or phone calls and no more visits every two weeks. He missed the taste, smell and feel of her. He missed running his fingers through her luxurious, thick, dark curls. He called her a couple of times but she never answered. Then, he gave up.

Cristina had seen the calls on her phone but could not bring herself to answer. She just couldn't do it. She still felt so much remorse and sadness of having done this to him. She couldn't face having to talk to him. She knew why. She hadn't yet forgiven herself. She withdrew within herself. That was how she was affected by that night.

The strangest thing was that it seemed that Conrad was not affected by what they had done. He acted and treated her as normal. She was surprised at his nonchalant attitude. Then, it occurred to her that Conrad had not remembered a single thing that happened that night. It was true that her memory was just as fuzzy but she realized that Conrad did not experience getting up naked next to her, so he just probably thought that he slept naked. She was going to tell him but decided against it. It would make their friendship incredibly awkward and she did not want that for the rest of the time they were living together in the same house.

She missed Owen as much he missed her. She missed his strong arms holding her close and the way he kissed her. She had seen how other boys kissed their girlfriend but no one ever kissed with as much passion as Owen did. She sighed and hugged herself. "I miss you so much, Owen," she whispered. Still, it was not enough to overcome her sense of guilt and shame to contact him or to answer his calls. She was relieved when he stopped calling.

She buried herself in her schoolwork. She had nothing else to focus on, except academics. Word got around that she was no longer in a serious relationship, so there were guys who asked her out. She turned them down because she really didn't want to date anybody else. She had told one of the guys that she had just come out of a life-long relationship and it was hard to get over. He had laughed at that, given that she was only 21. But she knew it was true. She and Owen had been in a life-long relationship.

Owen, too, did not date, except for that one time when someone set him up on a blind date. His blind date was attractive and pleasant enough but he knew it would never work. She was not Cristina. He, too, buried himself in his work. He, as usual, excelled and he received a promotion, which made him even more attached to his work.

It was coming to the end of the school year; she had four days again before graduation. Then, she heard the news from her mother that Mrs. Hunt had died. Cristina gasped. Mrs. Hunt was not old. She was only about 55. Helen explained that Lana had succumbed to a brain aneurysm, while at home, alone. George had been calling her and she had not responded to any of his calls. In a panic, George had left work to check up on his wife. He found her on the kitchen floor. She was already dead but he still called 911 in the hope that they could revive her. Hoping against hope, the paramedics told him that his wife had died. George had collapsed on the kitchen floor, weeping. The first people he called were Stanley and Helen Yang, who came over, immediately. It was Helen, who called Owen and Julia and told them about their mom. George was in too shattered a state to speak to his children. Julia and Owen immediately booked flights from their respective cities to come home.

Two days later, they held the funeral for Lana Hunt. The Yangs were all there, including Garrett and Cristina. They sat at the back, since they had a little car trouble and got there later than they expected. Garrett's girlfriend Holly was also there with them in the back pew. Cristina could see the blonde heads of the Hunts in the front pew. Julia seemed to be crying uncontrollably in the arms of a man Cristina had never seen before. She assumed that it was probably Julia's latest beau. Cristina stared at the back of Owen's head and she could see the slight shake of his shoulders. She knew that he was probably crying. Mr. Hunt seemed stoic enough. The church service was lovely as people came up and spoke of their memories of Lana. Julia stopped crying long enough to pay tribute to her mother. Cristina could feel the tears in her eyes. Mrs. Hunt was really a wonderful woman, who always treated Cristina like if she was her own daughter.

At the end of the church service, they all headed to the cemetery. It was there that Owen first caught sight of Cristina. She hung back, hoping not to be noticed but it was hard to hide that head of raven curls. Even in his sadness, his heart jumped for joy at the sight of her. He had missed her so much and he was so glad that she came to his mother's funeral. It meant that she still cared.

After the burial, everyone gathered at the Hunts' home. After having a quiet cry in his bedroom, Owen changed out of his jacket and tie and went out to the living room to help Julia and his dad with the guests. Julia's latest boyfriend Chester was making himself useful by collecting all of the various dishes people had made and had brought to the gathering. Owen saw Mr. and Mrs. Yang in deep conversation with his dad. Mr. Yang had his arm around George's shoulder. He saw Garrett and Holly in a corner. He caught Garrett's eye. His friend immediately came over. They hugged. "Sorry, buddy," Garrett said. "Your mom was the best."

"Thanks, Garrett," Owen said. "I see you and Holly are here. Things are going well, I guess."

"Very well," Garrett said. "We're planning to get married at the end of the summer."

"What! Congratulations, man," Owen said, slapping his friend on his back. "Best news I have heard all day."

"I don't know if this is the right time to ask but I was wondering if you could be my best man," Garrett said.

"Yes, of course," Owen said. "A little bit of joy in the gloominess of this day. Who is the maid of honor?" In reality, he was asking if it was going to be Cristina who would occupy that position.

"Holly's best friend, Anna is the maid of honor. But I really think you are asking me about Cristina," Garrett said. He knew his friend very well. "Am I right?" Owen nodded.

"Well, she is in the wedding party but just as a bridesmaid," Garrett said. He was aware that his sister and his friend had broken up. He didn't know why but he always figured that since Owen had always loved Cristina, they would never be over.

"Okay, where is she?" Owen asked, looking around. If all of the Yangs were there, then she must be around.

"She is on the back patio. She didn't want to be noticed," Garrett said.

"Thanks," Owen said, as he headed to the back patio. Through the French doors, he could see her sitting on a bench. A soft breeze was blowing and whipping her hair. She was wearing a navy dress with white buttons. She looked so beautiful, he thought.

He opened the door. She looked in his direction, immediately. He came and sat next to her. "So were you planning not to speak to me at all?" he asked, softly. She sighed. "I didn't really want to make a fuss," she said. "I didn't think that you would have wanted to speak to me."

"I would have been grateful for you to speak to me," he said. She gave him a wry smile and took his large hand into her smaller one. "Owen, I am so sorry for your loss. Your mom was so great. She treated me like if I was her daughter."

"Yeah, she was," Owen said. They were quiet for a moment, while she kept holding his hand. Then, he spoke. "Why didn't you take my calls? I wanted to talk about us."

She gave him a pained expression. "I didn't know how to face you," she said. "I wasn't ready to talk."

"But I was," he said. "I was ready to forgive you and hopefully, reconcile with you." She sighed. "I couldn't talk to you because I wasn't ready to forgive myself," she said.

"What about now?" he said. "Are you ready to talk? It is nearly six months since we last spoke. Don't you think that is enough time?"

"I guess," she admitted. "I am just so sorry for all that I did and I am sorry that I hurt you."

"I know you are. It was a mistake," he said. "You were drunk. I can forgive you. I just want us to be together."

"But I don't think I deserve you, Owen," she said. "I did wrong."

"Cristina, I want to forgive you but you have to let yourself off the hook. That's the only way we can go forward. Cristina, I want to be with you. I want to get past this," he said. "Can you at least try?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"Cristina, today is the day of my mother's funeral. Today, my father buried his soulmate. They had 35 years together and my father is grateful for every one of those days he had with my mother. You are my soulmate. I don't want to waste any more time not being with you. I love you. I have always loved you. I will always love you. I will never love anybody else. So, I am asking again, can you at least try?" he said.

This time, she nodded. "Cristina, do you love me? If you do, I want you to say the words. I haven't heard you say that in months," he said.

"I love you very much, Owen," she said. He cupped her chin and gently kissed her on the lips. "Thank you. Now, I have another question to ask. Why didn't you invite me to your graduation, which is in two days?"

"You want to come to my graduation?" she said, a little surprised. "Of course," he said. "I have waited years for you to finish."

"Okay," she said. "I will get an extra ticket for you. Mom, Dad, Garrett and Holly are coming. You can sit with them. Did you hear about Garrett and Holly?"

"Yes," he said. "I am going to be the best man." She laughed. They both started talking, again, like if their six months apart never happened.

Two days later, he joined the Yang family at Cristina's graduation. He cheered for her, as she crossed the stage to collect her diploma. He was so proud of her. So, they were a little obnoxious with the pictures and the video camera but they didn't care. After her graduation, he joined the Yangs for lunch at one of their favorite restaurants. Owen loved it. It was just like old times. After lunch, he asked her parents if he could steal Cristina away for a bit. He said he wanted to talk to her about their future. Stanley and Helen consented and he grabbed her hand and drove her back to his house. He led her up to his bedroom. "Dad isn't home," he said, as he kicked off his shoes. He unbuttoned his shirt and turned to her, kissing her the way like they used to do. Lips met lips, tongue met tongue and they collapsed on to the bed. He unzipped the back of her dress and kissed her on the neck. "I want you to be my wife," he whispered.

**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. Thanks for taking the time to do so.**


	53. Chapter 53 Unexpected Surprise

Cristina was not quite sure about what she just heard Owen whisper to her. Something about wife, she thought. Anyway, they could discuss that after they made love, she figured. Right now, she just wanted some awesome loving from the man she loved. They had not been physical with each other, since January and she badly missed it. When they made love, it was a little bit desperate for the both of them. It was so urgent and frantic; it was like they could not get enough of each other. When it was over, they both laid back content on his bed.

"I have missed you so much," Owen declared. "And right now, I think I am the happiest man in the world."

"Yeah, me too," she agreed. "But not the happiest man part, since I am not a man." He laughed at her and kissed her on her nose.

"So what do you think?" he asked. "About what?" she answered.

"I told you that I wanted you to be my wife," he replied. "Oh, that," she responded. "I have always known that."

"I know you have always known that but I don't mean it that way. I was thinking that maybe , it is time to take the next step," he said. "Get married for real. You've graduated from college and I am guessing you are still going to move to Portland with me, like we always planned." She sat up. "I am not ready to get married, Owen. I am only turning 22 at the end of the summer. Don't you think that is a little young to get married?"

"Well, Garrett and Holly are getting married, soon," he pointed out.

"Yes, but Garrett is 25 and Holly is 26. They are older," she said. "I am going to be 25 at the end of June," he noted. "That is the same age as Garrett."

"Yeah, I know but your intended bride is four years younger than Garrett's bride. I haven't even started to earn my own money," she said. "I am just not ready, Owen." He sighed. "Okay, but I thought that since we know that we want to be with each other, why not get started earlier?" he said.

"Just not ready," she said, firmly. "In the meantime, I will be moving to Portland, probably at the end of the summer, after Garrett's wedding. I have a temporary job at my dad's company and Mom wants me around to help with the planning of the wedding. We are going to get together with Holly and we are going to work together to get this wedding off the ground. As you know, Holly's mom died when she was a kid, so she needs all of the help she can get from us. So after the wedding, I am all yours."

"Okay," Owen reluctantly agreed. He had hoped that as soon as she had graduated, she would be making the move to Portland with him but it was only a couple of months he had to wait. He consoled himself with that thought. "To make it up, I think you should allow me to ravish you again," he said, with a grin. "Whatever you want," she replied.

* * *

><p>Owen went back to Portland after his bereavement leave was up. His dad, still sad, dropped him off at the airport. Father and son hugged, tightly. "If you need to talk, you can call me, anytime, Dad," Owen said. He knew his dad was going to be lonely without his mom around, anymore. "Thanks, son," George said. "You better get going." He had tears in his eyes. "Okay, dad," Owen said. "I will call you when I get back to Portland."<p>

* * *

><p>The next two months were very busy for Cristina and her mom, helping Holly with the wedding planning. She did visit Owen for his 25th birthday, later on in June and they saw each other once in July. It was now August and the wedding was only four days away. She, along with the maid of honor and the other bridesmaid, accompanied Holly to the final fitting of her bridal gown. When Holly came out in her strapless, mermaid gown, Cristina gasped. "You look so beautiful, Holly. It fits you, perfectly."<p>

"Thank you," Holly said. "By the way, your dresses have already been altered. So they want you to try them on."

"Awesome," Anna, the maid of honor said. Her dress was going to be a dark purple, while Cristina was wearing a lavender bridesmaid dress. They both tried on their dresses. Anna's dress fit her perfectly but Cristina found her dress a little tight in the bust and waist areas. "It is a little tight at the top," she told the seamstress.

"No, that cannot be," the lady said. She looked at her notes. "Yes, it was altered perfectly to these measurements." She was firm when she said it. "Maybe, young lady, you have gained a little bit of weight." Cristina was horrified. How could she have gained enough weight to make a difference in the way her bridesmaid dress was fitting her? That was only two months ago. She knew that she had been eating badly because of all of the work involved but still, she hardly ever gained weight.

"Well, okay," she said, sadly. "Could you let it out a little bit because I don't think I would be able to stay in the dress for a long period? I would find it hard to breathe." The woman eyed her with a little bit of disgust. She hated when people gained weight and then they had to fix it.

"Okay, we will fix it," she said. "We fixed it perfectly, the first time. You will have to pay extra for further alterations. Plus it is going to be a rush alteration."

"Fine, fine," Cristina said. She didn't know why the lady was being so mean, especially since she was feeling a little bit nauseous, at the moment. She just felt miserable. Maybe she had PMS. She felt bloated and her breasts felt heavier. Damn it, that meant she was going to have her period for the wedding. Since she and Owen had broken up in January, she had come off the pill and allowed her cycles to become regular, again. When they got back together in June, she had taken a chance that one time, when they made love in his bedroom. Since then, they had been using condoms.

Then, it hit her. She hadn't had a period in two months. She felt suddenly dizzy and had to sit down. She hadn't even noticed about her lack of menstruation because she was so busy helping with the wedding. "What's up, Cristina?" Holly asked.

"Just feeling a little woozy," she said. It wasn't a lie. The thought that she might be pregnant did indeed make her feel woozy.

"Ooh, I hope you are not getting ill," Holly said. "The wedding is only a couple of days away." Cristina's pale face worried Holly. "It's okay," Cristina replied. "I will be okay. Holly, is it okay if I leave? I remember I have to pick up something at the pharmacy."

"Sure," Holly said. Cristina couldn't get out of there, fast enough. She drove to the nearest pharmacy and headed straight to the aisle with the pregnancy tests. She bought two of them and drove home. She ran straight to her bedroom and tore open the packages and peed on the sticks in her bathroom. She waited the requisite amount of time before she looked at the sticks. As she held the two sticks, her hand started to shake. They were both positive. She worked it out on the calendar and realized she was about a little over eight weeks pregnant. By the day of the wedding, she would be about nine weeks. She threw herself on the bed. She was so overwhelmed that all she could do was cry. This was the worst timing ever, Cristina thought. She didn't want to be pregnant. She didn't even have a steady job, as yet. How would she even take care of a baby?

Her mother heard her sobs and knocked on the door. "Cristina, are you okay? Are you crying?" Helen asked. Cristina didn't answer but continued to sob. Her mother opened the door.

"What's the matter, baby?" Helen said, stroking her daughter's hair. Cristina handed her the two sticks. Helen's eyes opened wide as she stared at the windows on the stick. "You're pregnant?" Helen said. Cristina nodded.

"How could this happen?" Helen said. "Don't you use birth control?" Cristina didn't want to go into the fact about that one time, when she took a chance. So, she just nodded.

"What are you going to do?" Helen asked. She was forever the pragmatist and always went straight to the point.

"I don't know," Cristina said. Her mother shook her head. That was the start of a very long discussion about what she should do.

* * *

><p>Owen headed to the airport. He was arriving the same day as the wedding. He didn't even make it for the rehearsal dinner, the night before. He hadn't wanted to cut it so close but he got tied up in work. As soon as he got into Chicago, he headed straight to his home, took a quick shower and changed into his suit, before heading down to the church. He met Garrett at the church door. "Gosh, I thought you weren't going to make it," Garrett said. The two friends hugged. "Here is the ring, Owen,"Garrett said. "Don't lose it." They hurried to the front of the church and took their places. Two other groomsmen were already there waiting at the top.<p>

Ten minutes later, the music started and the bridal procession started with the bridesmaids of which Cristina was one of them. When he caught sight of her, Owen could not stop grinning. She looked so lovely in her lavender dress. He hadn't spoken to her in a couple of days, since he was so busy trying to finish up work, so he could make it to the wedding. She had also been busy in the final days of preparation for the wedding. She gave him a sweet smile, which warmed his heart. After she came up, she took her place on the other side of the altar. The bride didn't matter to him; he only had eyes for her bridesmaid. If anyone asked Owen about the wedding, he would pretty much say it was all of a blur, except for when he gave Garrett the ring for Holly. He was pretty much just staring at the dark-haired bridesmaid for most of the ceremony, thinking that maybe soon, it would be their turn at the altar.

Cristina could feel Owen's eyes on her for the entire ceremony. She desperately needed to talk to him. She had held off, calling him with her news. She knew it was a discussion that she wanted to have with him, face to face. She, too, was pre-occupied for most of the ceremony and was finally relieved to hear the priest announce, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Mr and Mrs. Garrett Yang." After the applause had died down and the wedding party made its way down the aisle, Owen was glad it was over. He escorted the maid of honor, even though he really wanted to escort the bridesmaid but another groomsman had that lucky task. They posed for pictures outside of the church, before heading to the hotel ballroom, where the reception was being held. They had to sit through the official part of the reception, where Owen gave his speech, recalling the days of when he and Garrett were kids. He ended his speech by saying that some day, he and Garrett were going to become family, when he married Garrett's little sister. Everyone clapped and whistled, when he said it. Cristina started to blush and gave everyone a rather embarrassed smile.

It was only when dinner was being served that Owen exchanged seats and finally found himself next to Cristina. "I have been wanting to talk to you for the entire evening," he whispered. "You look gorgeous in your lavender dress."

"Thank you," she said. "You look pretty spiffy yourself."

"Thank you," he said. "I almost didn't make it, you know. Got to the church with about 10 minutes to spare."

"Well, good that you made it," she said. As they ate their dinner, Owen noticed that Cristina was a little bit quiet. "Is something the matter?" he asked. "It is supposed to be a happy occasion."

"Oh, I just have a lot on my mind," she said. "Owen, there is something I need to talk to you about. So after dinner, can we go somewhere quiet and discuss it?"

"Sure," he said, a little bit puzzled. "Can't you tell me now?"

"Um, I prefer to tell you when other people aren't around," she said. "Maybe we can take a walk in the hotel garden."

"Okay," he said. "Are you just looking for a quiet spot, where we can make out? I am all for that, you know." He gave her a cheeky grin. "No," she laughed. "It is something important."

"You're getting me scared here," he said. "Don't be," she told him. "It is something that I really need to tell you. So, after dinner?" He nodded.

After dinner and dessert, he offered her his hand and they walked hand in hand to the hotel garden. There was no one else around. "It's really pretty here," Cristina nodded. "And all of the lights make it even more beautiful."

"Yeah," he said, anxiously. "So what do you need to tell me?"

She took a deep breath before speaking. "I guess the best way to say it is just to say it. I am pregnant." She carefully examined his face, as his expression changed from anxiety to one of sheer joy.

"We're pregnant!" he yelled. "That is the most wonderful news ever." He was so happy but he could see that she was not as enthused as he was. "What's the matter, Cristina?"

"Well, I had a long talk with my mother about this and she thinks that termination might be my best option," she said, quietly. Owen's expression changed from joy to shock. His mouth dropped open.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments and thoughts. I do appreciate when you do.**


	54. Chapter 54 Decisions

Owen felt like his head had just exploded. Even though he was very angry, he spoke to her in measured tones. "That may be your mother's opinion, Cristina, but it is not her baby. It is our baby. You and me. We are both adults, now. We should be the ones deciding the fate of our pregnancy." He knew he had to stay calm because if he ranted and raved, he may push Cristina in doing what he thought was the unthinkable.

"But I don't have a job," she said. "I don't have the money to take care of this baby. I am going to be 22 in a couple of days and I haven't even really lived."

"In terms of the money part, that is really no excuse. I have the money to take care of you and this baby. My recent promotion ensures that. So we do have the finances to have this baby. As for the other part, that is really up to you," he told her.

"But my mom said…," she started. He stopped her. "This is not your mom's baby. This is ours. We are the ones who have to decide what we are going to do. I am not going to force you to do something that you don't want to do but I hope you really think about what you are doing before you do it. Let me be clear – I want you and I want this baby and I am committed one hundred percent. But I am not the one who is going to carry this baby. You are, so whatever you are going to do, please make sure you know what you are doing. I guess this is all I have to say. So I am going to leave you to think and I am going back to the reception."

As he turned to leave, Cristina asked, "If I have the abortion, will you leave me?" He stopped in his tracks. "I love you, Cristina, more than you could ever know. I cannot imagine life without you in it. So, no, I won't leave you but if you decide to do it, I will be disappointed. Anyway, talk to you, later." He left the garden and headed back to the reception.

As he got into the reception, he headed to the bar. He needed a stiff drink. He understood how Cristina was feeling and why she was feeling that way but he couldn't imagine the thought of terminating their baby. He had to prepare himself for that possibility.

He ordered himself a straight scotch and leaned back against the bar. "Hey, best man," Garrett said, coming up to him. "That was a terrific job you did there with the best man' s speech. Thanks, buddy."

"No problem, Garrett," Owen said. "It was my pleasure." Garrett looked around, "So where is Cristina? You two are usually joined at the hip." Owen sighed. "Well, she has some thinking to do," he said.

"Ooh, that sounds ominous," Garrett said. "Don'tell me you two are breaking up again. You just got back together, a couple of months, ago. I was pretty stoked about that, since I asked you to be best man and didn't want things to be awkward at the wedding. I guess another issue has come up. You want to talk about it?"

"No," Owen said. "This one is really private."

"Okay," Garrett said. "I see my wife is beckoning me to go dance with her. That sounds so weird saying 'my wife.' Anyway, hope things work out with you and my little sister." He left and headed in Holly's direction. Owen watched as Garrett and Holly danced together. They looked so happy. He ordered another drink and found himself at an empty table. He sat down and took in everything. He was there for about 45 minutes when he heard someone sit behind him. "Is this seat taken?" she said, softly.

"I'm not sure," he said, even though all of the chairs at the table were empty. "Depends on who's asking." He turned around his head and smiled at her.

"Have you been drinking?" she asked. He nodded and answered, "But not much. This is just my second drink. I have been nursing it for a while."

"I made my decision," she said. He perked up and turned his whole body around. "Yes?" he said, anxiously.

"I know you said you wouldn't leave me if I decided to terminate but do you really mean that?" she asked. His heart sank at her words. He found it hard to answer, "Yes, I won't leave you."

"Thank you for telling me that," she said. "That was good to know." She let out a big breath before she continued. "I have decided to keep the baby."

"What!" he yelled, a little bit too loudly, as people looked around to observe them. "Keep your voice down," she told him. He gave her a long kiss.

"I thought you were going to tell me something different," he said. "Especially the way you started this conversation."

"Well, I just wanted to be sure about how much you loved me. That even if I did something that you did not want, that you would still love me," she said.

"Always," he said. "I would probably be hurt and disappointed but I still love you. So when are you going to tell your mom and dad about it."

"Tomorrow," she said. "Let's just enjoy the rest of the night. Will you dance with me, Mr. Hunt?"

"Certainly," he said. He got up and offered her his hand. She took it and he led her out on the dance floor. There, they clung to each other in a slow dance. She put her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest, while he wrapped his hands around her waist. They were happy.

* * *

><p>The next day, Owen came across to the Yangs' house to have a conversation with her parents. Both Helen and Stanley waited anxiously, as the two young people took center stage. Owen took Cristina's hand into his.<p>

"Cristina and I have something to tell you," Owen started. Helen interrupted, "Is it about the baby?"

"What baby?" Stanley asked. He looked at his daughter, "Are you pregnant?" Cristina nodded and answered, "Yes, dad."

"What, what!" Stanley spluttered. "How am I always the last to know anything around here?" He glared at his wife. She had not mentioned anything about this.

"So now that we have established that we are pregnant, Cristina and I have decided to keep the baby," Owen said. He noticed Helen opening her mouth to say something. "Yes, Mrs. Yang, I know what you think we should do but I have to insist that this is our baby and Cristina and I are both adults. I know she is young and just out of college but I do have the means and capability to take care of her and her baby. I make a good living. I am not rich but I can afford to take care of her and the baby."

"So what about Cristina and her career aspirations? Will she be stuck at home taking care of the baby?" Helen interjected. "She does want a career, Owen."

"Well, who says that she can't have a career and her baby, Mrs. Yang. Cristina and I had a long discussion last night about it. We decided that in the near future, she will take a short-term position until the baby is born. We know that companies may not want to hire a person who has to go on maternity leave in a couple of months, so she will look for a temporary position until then. After the baby comes and we put the baby in day care, she can look for a permanent position."

"Day care is quite expensive, Owen," Helen reminded him.

"Yes, I am aware of that but my company offers subsidized day care at an excellent facility," Owen said.

"What about health insurance?" Stanley said. "It is going to be expensive to have a baby."

"I propose to have her put on my company's health insurance as a dependent and the baby, too, when he or she comes. However, this means we have to get married and I am going to take her back to Portland with me," Owen said.

"Married?" Stanley said. This was all coming too fast for him. First, he found out that his daughter was pregnant. Now, she was getting married and moving to Portland. Well, he already knew about the Portland part but everything else was a shock.

"Married?" Helen repeated. "What? When?"

"This afternoon," Owen said. Stanley and Helen both gasped. "This afternoon?" Stanley spluttered. He had just recovered from his son's wedding, the day before.

"I am not sure about everything," Helen said. "I am not sure this is the path where you two should go. It just seems so sudden. I don't agree with all of this."

"We understand how you feel, Mrs. Yang. But Cristina and I are going through with this. We are getting our license this morning and going to shop for rings. We are getting married at City Hall at 4 p.m. this afternoon. We would like you to be there," Owen said.

There was silence in the room. Helen spoke up. "Thank you for telling us. I know that you are both adults but it does seem a little too fast for everything. I am not sure Stanley and I could support this." Cristina looked like she was about to cry. Owen squeezed her hand. "We understand but we are still going to get married. We're going to get the license, now."

Cristina and Owen headed out, got the license and then went jewelry shopping. He could tell that Cristina was a little sad because her parents were not in agreement. When he had proposed marriage the night before, he knew that she would have some reservations because just a couple of months before, she had declared that she wasn't ready. He reminded her that their circumstances had changed drastically and it wasn't going to be about them, anymore. They were going to be responsible for a new life and they both had to grow up and face that. He also told her that they needed to be married for her to be covered under his company's health insurance. "We have to make grown-up decisions, now, Cristina," he told her. "We were always going to get married, anyway."

They found wedding rings they both liked. He even bought her an engagement ring. He dropped to his knee in the jewelry store and proposed. "Now, I know you can't say no to me because we already bought the wedding rings," he joked. She pretended to be thinking about it before she said yes. They both laughed.

* * *

><p>At 3.45 p.m., they found themselves at City Hall. Owen was wearing a suit, while Cristina was in an ivory tea-length dress. Her hair was up and she was wearing pearls. Owen's dad, George arrived at 3.58 p.m. He rushed in. "Sorry, sorry, I thought I would get here, earlier."<p>

"You are just in time, dad," Owen said, giving his dad a hug. George looked around and noticed that neither Stanley nor Helen were there. He looked at his future daughter-in-law's sad face. He whispered to Owen, "They're not coming?"

"I don't think so, dad," Owen said. "She is a little unhappy about it so don't mention it." George nodded and enveloped Cristina into a big bear hug.

When it was four o' clock, the clerk called out their names, "Hunt and Yang."

"That's us," Owen said. Cristina took a final look around. She couldn't believe that they weren't really coming. She had tears in her eyes, as she followed Owen into the room.

"Okay, so everyone is here? Can I have the paperwork and identification?" the judge asked. Owen handed over the paperwork and their iDs. "Okay, then, let's get started." There was a clatter at the door and they all turned around to see Stanley and Helen struggling to get through the door at the same time. Cristina started crying tears of joy. She ran to her parents and they both hugged her at the same time.

"Sorry, we're late," Helen said. "But Dad wanted to stop and get a bouquet of flowers for you. He said you're a bride and you needed your flowers. You're still our baby girl and we knew we had to be here." Stanley handed her a beautiful bouquet of white roses and lilies. Cristina kissed her dad, "Thank you, dad."

"So now, can we get started?" the judge said. "Everyone is here right now. No more guests?"

"No more guests," Owen said, happily. It was turning out to be a great day. It was a short ceremony, probably only about 10 minutes in all but they were legally married. Owen kissed her but not a tongue type of kiss, since they were in front of their parents. "Mrs. Hunt," he whispered. She laughed.

After the ceremony, they all decided to take an early dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. Garrett was missing but he and Holly had already gone off to the Cayman Islands for their honeymoon. Julia was also missing because she was back in her city, after Garrett's wedding. As they awaited their orders, Owen said softly, "I wish mom was here."

"Yeah, me too," George said. He wiped away a single tear. "She would have loved to see her boy get married." Everyone was quiet, as they remembered Lana.

When their food came, everyone ate heartily. Owen whispered to Cristina, "I am sorry that I couldn't give you the big wedding with the white dress."

"It's okay," she said. "Big white dress or not, we are still married. And don't they always say that it is the marriage that counts, not the wedding. You could have a beautiful wedding with all of the trimmings and have a crap marriage."

"Yeah, it is the marriage that counts," he said. He gave her a kiss. He was glad that Cristina's parents finally came around. He knew that he had their doubts but he was determined that to prove that they were wrong. He and Cristina were going to make it work. About that, he was sure.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	55. Chapter 55 Being pregnant

Cristina had settled down quickly in Portland, even though she had never imagined in her entire life that she would be married and pregnant by the age of 22. She had never seen that future for herself but she knew that Owen would have always been part of any future.

She got a job – a six-month stint at the public library. It was not a high-stress job, which she liked. She was replacing someone who had gone on leave for extensive surgery.

She and Owen had also moved into a larger apartment in the same building – a two-bedroom apartment, since they needed the extra bedroom for the baby, when it came. They knew, eventually, they would have to find a house, if they had any more children.

At work, Owen was proud to say that he now had a wife. When he first came back from Chicago and told everyone that he had got married, they were all in a bit of shock. "So you went to Chicago for your best friend's wedding and came back with a wife, too," one of his colleagues joked.

"Well," Owen replied. "I married my best friend's little sister."

"How little is little?" another colleague asked. "Now some under-aged teenager?"

"I am pleased to say that she is indeed a grown-up. She is turning 22 but she is my best friend's little sister and I have known her practically my whole life. I knew from the moment that I saw her as a seven-year-old that I was going to marry her," Owen admitted.

"A life-long love," one of the ladies said. "So sweet." He didn't tell them, then that they were going to have a baby. He waited until the first trimester had passed to announce that he was going to be a father.

"Didn't you just get married three weeks ago?" one person said.

"Well, yeah, but you know, things happened and we got married," Owen said, a little sheepishly.

"A shot gun wedding, it was," a woman said. "Her dad brought out the old shotgun and forced you to the church?" Owen had to laugh because of the image of mild-mannered Mr. Yang with a shotgun was a comical one.

"No, it wasn't, actually. I was the one who wanted to get married," Owen said. "Her parents didn't agree but they came around in the end."

"So when is she due?" another person asked. "March," Owen replied.

"Well, congratulations from all of us," his boss said. "Thank you," Owen said. It really felt good to tell everyone about the baby. He was so proud of his little family.

* * *

><p>By Christmas, Cristina was about six months pregnant. She and Owen had gone home for the holidays, arriving the day before Christmas Eve. Owen had asked that they stay at his dad's house instead of her parents' house because he knew that the holidays were going to be extra-hard on his dad with his mom gone. Cristina readily agreed because she knew he would appreciate their presence, there. They hadn't come home for Thanksgiving because Owen could not get away from his job. It had been nearly four months since they last saw their families. Cristina and Owen were not the only ones there for the holidays as Holly and Garrett had also made it home from California. They were staying at the Yangs in Garrett's old room. Owen's sister Julia had also made it home .She had a new beau named Howard, who was also spending the holidays with them. The Hunts were no longer surprised, whenever Julia brought home a new guy for any family occasion.<p>

Christmas Eve dinner was held at the Hunts with the Yangs coming over and Christmas Day luncheon was being held at the Yangs with the Hunts coming over. The two families had long shared their holidays together but this time, it was different. They were actually family now, officially related by the marriage of Owen and Cristina and cemented by the impending birth of the Yangs-Hunts' first grandchild.

At the Christmas luncheon, after all of the delicious food was eaten, Owen stood up, hitting his glass with a fork to get everyone's attention. "It is always the best time when the Hunts and the Yangs get together. This tradition has gone on for many years and hopefully, for many more years to come. We would like to welcome Howard to our family gathering. And of course, we want to remember my mom, Lana, who always enjoyed these luncheons. She is always in our thoughts and our prayers. Mom, I really, really miss you and I am sure that you would have liked to hear this bit of news.

"Cristina and I would like to make an announcement. We found out a couple of weeks ago but we thought it would be great to tell you guys this at Christmas, since everyone would be here. We are going to have a boy."

Everyone started to laugh and clap. "Congratulations, son," George said, giving his son a big hug. The noise did not totally die down, when Garrett stood up. "Well, I guess this seems to be a pretty good time to make this announcement. Holly and I are also pregnant."

"What?" Helen shrieked. "Another baby!" She got up and ran and kissed her son and her daughter-in-law. Stanley wiped a tear from his eye. It was such good news, this Christmas day.

"How far are you gone, Holly?" Cristina asked, pleased that her sister-in-law was also going to have a baby. Holly grinned at her. "Well, we are just out of the first trimester. We are expecting that the baby will come in June."

"Oh, so awesome," Cristina said. "My baby will only be about three months older. They will be such close cousins."

"Oh, I can't get over all of the good news," Helen said, sitting down and fanning herself. "I am going to be a grandma twice over in the next year."

After dessert, Owen and Julia found themselves in the kitchen, helping with the clean-up. Cristina had gone to lie down in her old room. Owen and Julia didn't mind, as they washed and dried the dishes. Julia smiled at her brother and said, "It is good to see you so content, so happy with your life."

"I am very happy, Julia. More than I have ever been in my entire life," Owen said. "I have everything I could possibly want – my wife, who is the love of my life and my baby son, who is coming in a couple of months. Then, I have a great job which I love."

"I envy you very much," Julia said. "Here I am, 31 years old and I still can't get my act, together. Most of my relationships don't last more than a couple of months. Sometimes, it is hard to watch you. You are my kid brother, six years younger than me, and you have it all together."

"Julia, you're going to find someone," Owen said, patting her on the back. "You will know it, when you meet them."

"Oh, Owen, nobody is as lucky as you that you found your soulmate when you were a little kid," Julia said, wistfully. "I know I used to make fun of you because your love for Cristina never wavered as you grew up. You would think that since you guys were so young, you would have outgrown it and gone on to somebody else."

"Yeah, you would think that. I still remember the day I first laid my eyes on her. She had the most awesome head of curls and the cutest cheeks and the softest skin. She was wearing a light blue dress and was barefoot. She looked like a doll," Owen said. "My heart was taken the moment I saw her." He smiled at the memory. They finished washing up the dishes. Julia went back to check on her new boyfriend, Howard while Owen went to Cristina's bedroom to look for her.

He found her perched on top of a table, trying to remove her dolls and teddy bears from the top shelf. "Cristina, come down from there. What if you fall?" he said, alarmed. He helped her down from the top of the table.

"I am just trying to get the dollies and teddy bears down. I am going to wash them and give them to my children," she said.

"Children, you say?" he said with a huge grin. He reached up on the top shelf and took down the dolls and bears. As he handed her to them, "They are a little bit dusty. You really need to wash them."

"Samantha and Tabitha," she said, as she laid the soft-bodied baby dolls on her bed. "Bruno and Hugo, you two were my favorite," Cristina added, as she looked at her teddy bears.

"Remember our tea parties with them?" he said. "I always came to see you first before I went to play with Garrett."

"Oh, you played tea party so well," she said. "Most boys don't, especially Garrett, who used to get frustrated with the make-believe tea and biscuits."

"Of course I had an ulterior motive," Owen confessed. "I loved you so much and I wanted you to like me."

"Well, clearly it worked because look where we are now," she said, holding on to her six-month pregnant belly. She fingered the fur on one of the bears. "Passing these on to a new generation." They sat there, quietly, as they thought about their future baby boy.

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><p>When they got back to Portland, Cristina threw herself into converting the second bedroom into a nursery for their son. She avoided gender-specific colors and decided the décor would be yellow and dove grey.<p>

She decided on everything that went into the room, from the cribs, the changing tables, the rocking chair, the rug and the mural on the wall. After a month of hard work and driving Owen crazy, she finally got it the way that she wanted. The final touch was placing Hugo and Bruno into the crib. Now, all they had to do was await the arrival of the baby.

As her body grew during the last few months, she was getting restless with her increasing girth. As a small woman, she was not used to carrying around so much weight. She felt like a beached whale. Since her stint at the library had ended, she was waiting the last couple of weeks at home.

On the due date, she waited for some sign that he was going to come. Owen was at work. He jumped every time his phone rang, in case he had to rush home to take her to the hospital. But the call never came because Cristina never got a single sign that the baby was coming. When he came home, he found her in the living room, watching television. "So nothing, huh?" he said. "Nope," she said.

The next few days were the same. Cristina insisted that they had sex, saying that she read it was supposed to help induce labor. With her enormous stomach in the way, they had to find inventive ways of having sex. Still, nothing happened. She was getting completely frustrated. She had now reached 41 weeks and was just about ready to give up. "Can we get the doctor to induce labor?" she told Owen. "I am going stark raving mad."

"I guess we could," he said. "The baby is fully cooked by now. Let's ask the doctor, tomorrow. I too am ready to get that little boy out of there. It seems that he has found it too comfortable in his mommy's womb and wants to stay in there."

Cristina went to bed, that night, feeling much better. It was close to 2 a.m. that she started getting pains. Could it be gas pain? She didn't want to wake Owen until she was sure that it was contractions. There it was again. It didn't feel like gas. She was pretty darn sure what it was when her water finally broke.

She shook Owen awake. "It's time," she said.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments and reviews. Thank you very much for taking the time to do so. The next chapter will be the final chapter.**


	56. Chapter 56 Julia's wedding

**A/N: Final chapter.**

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><p>His name was Colton Elliot Hunt and he came kicking and screaming into the world. He was a big boy – nine pounds, six ounces – and he gave his tiny mother a lot of trouble to get him out. Cristina could not believe the size of the baby. She, herself, was only about six pounds, when she was born. Clearly, it had to be Owen's genes that caused this massive baby. She cursed her husband, as she birthed this humongous baby. She swore that she was never going to have another baby.<p>

When they took him home, Cristina never knew she could love someone like she loved baby Colton. Yes, she loved Owen with all of her heart but baby Colton came from inside of her. She had made him. When he slept, she would stare at him, marveling at how tiny his fingers were. She brushed his blonde hair with the softest of brushes. Owen loved rocking the baby to sleep. Every night, Cristina would find Owen in the nursery in the rocking chair and humming the baby to sleep. It was like his special duty.

Two years later, Colton was joined by his sister, a dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty named Kiera Caroline Hunt. She was not as big as Colton was, when she was born. For this, Cristina was extremely grateful. She was seven pounds, five ounces. Both father and son were fascinated by this new baby girl. Owen loved the baby's dark curls, which framed her face. Colton did not know his own strength in handling the baby, so Owen told him to be careful. Colton was very proud when he sat down on the bed and Owen placed the baby in his arms. He could not stop smiling at the baby girl. He loved his little sister so much.

Two years later, another Hunt baby joined the family. Cristina declared that this was definitely the last Hunt baby because three children were the perfect number for a family. Three kids could easily fit comfortably in the back seat of a sedan, she reasoned. This time, it was another baby boy, whose name was Rhys Evan Hunt. He weighed eight pounds, two ounces. He was a dark haired, brown eyed boy and he was always smiling. In fact, if you asked his parents, they would readily admit that their youngest boy had the best disposition of their three children. He rarely cried at all, much to Cristina's relief.

As her family was growing, Cristina too was growing professionally. She had gotten a job at an investment banking company in a junior position, after Colton was born. She turned out to be a quick learner and became quite versed in stocks and bonds and investment funds. With her knowledge, she invested for the Hunt family and she was very successful at it. They were able to buy a house after Kiera was born because they definitely needed the space. After Rhys was born, they were able to upsize and get the house of their dreams. The Hunts were living a good life.

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><p>They were having breakfast, when Owen started opening the mail that he had picked up but had forgotten to open, the day before. Cristina was feeding two year old Rhys, while four year old Kiera and six year old Colton were having their favorite cereals. Owen opened an envelope and started to laugh.<p>

"What's so funny, Daddy?" Colton asked, as he brushed a blonde lock from off his eyes.

"Oh, Colton, it is just an invitation from Aunt Julia. Cristina, I cannot believe it. Julia, at the age of 37, is finally getting married. It is a wedding invitation."

"What?" Cristina shrieked. "She is finally getting married after having how many boyfriends, Owen?"

"Ahem," Owen said, reminding Cristina that their two older children were listening, intently.

"Oh, okay," she said. "Who is it? Was it the last guy we met at Christmas? Fitzroy, was it?"

"Uh, no," Owen said. "Her intended groom is William Harrison. Apparently, she and Fitzroy broke up before Valentine's Day and she met William at a singles party on Valentine's Day. Apparently, they hit it off. So we have a wedding to go to in a couple of weeks in Chicago."

"Awesome," Cristina said, a little grumpily. Traveling with three small children was already hard, when it was just using the car. But airports and planes and suitcases and strollers were involved, making it even doubly harder.

"You don't have to sound like that," Owen said. She recognized how cranky she sounded. "Owen, it has nothing to do with Julia and her wedding. It is the traveling to get there."

"Don't worry. We are Team Hunt. We and our three little children will be present and accounted for at Aunt Julia's wedding?" he said, as he got up and gave her a kiss. She hugged him and kissed him back.

"Ooh, Daddy and Mommy are kissy-face," Kiera piped up. She giggled and shook her dark curls.

"That's because Daddy and Mommy love each other very much," Owen said. "And always will."

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><p>A couple of weeks later found the Hunt family at Julia's wedding. They met William at the rehearsal dinner. He had red hair and looked a little familiar to Cristina, even though she knew that she had never met him before. Kiera was going to be part of the wedding party as she had been designated the role of the flower girl. She was going to be wearing a blue chiffon dress and was going to carry a white basket. She was so proud.<p>

The wedding went off without a hitch. Kiera did an admirable job in dropping the white rose petals on the ground. When she passed her mommy and daddy, she gave them the biggest smile. Owen took so many pictures, while Cristina wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. George looked handsome as he and Julia came down the aisle, together. He had waited many years to take his daughter down the aisle. Finally, she had found someone to share her life with and he was very happy about that. Julia was extremely joyful; it almost seemed like she was dancing down the aisle. She gave her brother a cheeky grin. Owen grinned back at her. He knew Julia had long searched for someone to love and he was ecstatic for her. He also caught Garrett's eye. Garrett and Holly had come from California and were also at the wedding with their two boys, six year old Benjamin and three year old Cameron. They both nodded at each other. Owen smiled, remembering how Garrett used to have a crush on Julia, when they were kids.

After the formal ceremony was over and everyone had found their way to the reception at a fancy hotel, Cristina declared, "This was a wonderful wedding." She was sitting at their table with Rhys in her lap. Owen looked at her, "Are you sorry that we never did the whole big wedding?"

"Honestly, sometimes, I am a little envious, but other times, I realize that I have had such a great marriage, it doesn't matter," she said.

"I am going to make you a promise, here. When we hit our 10th anniversary, I think we should have a recommitment ceremony and we can have a real wedding," he said. "We can certainly afford it, given how savvy an investor you are."

"Really?" she said. "Okay, that's a deal." They were then interrupted by Kiera, who was climbing her way on to Owen's lap. It was like a cloud of blue chiffon had settled into his lap.

"Daddy, daddy, a boy is following me," the four year old complained. She looked at him, her blue eyes opened wide. "What boy, Kiera?" he asked, with a smile. She pointed out a handsome boy with dark auburn hair, green eyes and a smattering of light freckles across his nose. He looked to be about six or seven years old. The boy bashfully looked away, when he realized that Kiera was pointing him out to her father.

"He looks okay, Kiera," Owen said. He wanted to laugh but he treated it with total seriousness. He looked across at the boy, who was stealing glances at Kiera. "Maybe he just wants to play."

"I don't want to play with him, daddy. He's a boy," she declared. She slipped off his lap and went in search of some girls to play with. The boy looked wistfully at her departing figure.

Later on, they noticed the young boy engaging in conversation with Kiera. He was giving her a chocolate truffle. All of the children in the wedding had been each given a chocolate truffle. Cristina knew that Kiera had already greedily eaten her own chocolate truffle and was hungrily eyeing what the little boy had to offer. Cristina went towards them.

"So, Kiera, what do you say?" she asked her daughter. "He is being a very nice boy and giving you his truffle."

"Thank you," Kiera said, a little stiffly, as she took the chocolate from the boy's hand. The boy had the biggest smile on his face, as he watched the little girl take a bite of the chocolate.

"Oh, there you are, Damian," a familiar voice said. Cristina looked up and recognized the redheaded man immediately. It was Conrad Harrison, her former neighbor and old roommate.

"Conrad," she said. "I have not seen you in years."

"Oh, my God, Cristina Yang," he said. The two old friends hugged. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"The groom is my cousin," Conrad said. "I should have known that because he looked familiar, even though I have never met him before," Cristina said. "So is this little guy yours?"

"No, he is my sister's kid," Conrad said. "I am not married but I hope to be, someday. I am engaged. Well, I guess this beautiful little girl is yours. She has your hair and Hunt's eyes. That is your husband, right?"

"Yeah, I did marry Owen Hunt," she admitted. "I think Damian has a crush on Kiera. He just gave her his chocolate truffle."

"Ah," Conrad said. "Wooing the ladies with chocolate, Damian? Good one." The little boy grinned. He offered his hand to Kiera and they walked off to join some other children, who were doing some crazy dancing on the floor.

"So how have you been?" Cristina asked. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I went to law school and I'm now working with Siegler Brothers downtown. I am a third year associate," Conrad said. "You?"

"Investment banking. Working in Portland," she said. "It pays well."

"It's really good to see you, Cristina. Just seeing you reminds me of the good old days. Remember the night when my girlfriend broke up with me and you were kind enough to drink with me and then we played strip poker and passed out," Conrad said, laughing. Cristina knew exactly the night he was talking about. It was the night that she thought that she had cheated on Owen with Conrad.

"We played strip poker?" she asked.

"Yeah, don't you remember?" he said. She shook her head. "My memories of that night are totally vague," she admitted.

"Yeah, we got so drunk that we passed out after the strip poker," he said. "I don't think we even cared that we saw each other naked. I reminded you that we had seen each other naked when we were little kids."

"Oh," Cristina said. The realization of what had gone down that night was dawning on her.

"I never really thanked you for that night. I should have," he said. "You were a true friend. I knew I needed to get my act together. I got up the next day and started to clean up my room. I was such a slob; I even had a condom on the floor, from the last time when my ex-girlfriend had stayed over. I made a change in my life and I realized that she was not the kind of girl that I should date. So, thanks," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"You're more than welcome," she said. The mystery of that night had been solved. Now, she could tell Owen that she never cheated on him. "It's good to see you again, Conrad. I have to tell my husband something."

She found her husband at the table, with Rhys, who was totally tuckered out and fast asleep in his arms. "Why are you grinning like a Cheshire cat?" he asked.

"I just found out something that has haunted me for years. Remember in senior year, when I broke up with you, because I thought I had cheated with Conrad?" she asked.

"Why are you bringing up such painful memories? I know it has been years and I have forgiven you but it still hurts," Owen said.

"Well, I just met Conrad. By the way, he is your new brother in law's cousin. Small world, isn't it? In any case, he just told me that all we did that night was play strip poker and pass out," she said, gleefully. "I never cheated on you."

"But you said there was a condom on the floor?" Owen asked, a little puzzled.

"Conrad said that was a condom he had left on the floor, from the last time his girlfriend was there," she said, triumphantly.

"So I am the only guy you have ever been with?" he said, with a grin. "I feel a little bit smug."

"Yes, my one and only," she told him. Even though Owen had forgiven her so long ago, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her. Their two older children came to them.

"I'm ready to go home, daddy," Colton said. "I am tired," Kiera said. "I want to sleep."

"Okay," Owen said. "We can go home, now." Home for them while they were in Chicago was at the Hunts' house. He handed sleeping Rhys to Cristina, while he picked up Kiera in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

As they were leaving, Damian called out, "Bye, Kiera." Kiera opened her eyes and sleepily waved at him. Owen smiled at the boy. He knew exactly what the little boy was feeling. A long time ago, he was that little boy, whose heart was stolen by a little girl. He looked across at his beautiful wife, who had been that little girl.

"I always believe in fate," Owen said, taking her hand into his. "It was fate that I met Garrett in my class. It was fate that he brought me to your house. It was fate that I met the love of my life, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. We were always meant to be."

"Yeah, I believe it, too," she said, with a smile.

_**THE END**_

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><p><strong>AN Thank you for joining me in this journey that took Owen and Cristina from childhood to adulthood. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave your final reviews and thoughts, as we say goodbye to this AU version of Cristina and Owen.**


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